FCC Chairman Vague On Capping A La Carte Prices

FCC CHAIRMAN VAGUE ON CAPPING A LA CARTE PRICES
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin wants big cable programmers to offer their channels one at a time to cable and satellite TV providers, but he hasn't made clear how so-called wholesale a la carte mandates would be effective if the FCC won't police the per-channel rates being sought. Chairman Martin danced around the issue of a la carte price controls on Thursday, telling reporters that he is relying on assertions by members of the American Cable Association that unbundling mandates on the Walt Disney Co., Viacom, News Corp. and NBC Universal would take pressure off retail cable rates. ACA represents hundreds of small cable companies. “I thought [wholesale a la carte] was an idea that some members of the cable industry -- small cable operators – had of having to address high cable rates,” Chairman Martin said. “I think that’s an idea for the commission to consider and I think it could end up helping addressing it – at least small cable operators have all said it would help them try to address it and lower cable rates.”
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