The Chairman vs. Cable

THE CHAIRMAN VS CABLE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin’s agenda of cable items for the 20 months remaining in the Bush administration includes: 1) Capping cable ownership. Comcast could not own more than 30% of pay-TV subscribers nationally as its customers. 2) A la carte legislation. Encouraging Congress to pass law forcing channels to be sold one at a time, to regulate cable prices and the distribution of violent and indecent content. 3) Dual carriage. Forcing cable operators to carry local TV signals in both analog and digital form, until all cable subscribers have digital reception equipment. 4) Forced Carriage. Requiring cable carriage of programming from FCC-qualified entities that have leased time from local TV stations. 5) Non-exclusivity. Banning cable operators from signing exclusive service contracts with apartment building landlords.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6439442.html

* McSlarrow on Cable and the FCC
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
National Cable & Telecommunications Association President Kyle McSlarrow talks with B&C about the FCC's “fundamental disconnect,” retransmission consent, and what he thinks of the government's proposal to make cable operators carry TV stations in both digital and analog: “Not much.” Of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin he says, "The leadership of this commission clearly embraces regulation, so that puts us on the opposite side of a lot of issues."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6439377.html