Small Cable Ops Ask FCC To Retain Access Conditions

The American Cable Association, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, and the association representing small telecom carriers sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission asking the Commission not to programming access conditions currently placed on News Corp., saying they continue to be in the public interest. They argued, ""Removing the conditions now would allow News Corp. to engage in the types of abusive market practices that force smaller operators and their subscribers to pay higher prices for programming." News Corp. asked the FCC back in September to remove the conditions because it had sold DirecTV to Liberty and the conditions had been imposed as part of News Corp.'s purchase of DirecTV in 2003.