ACA to FCC: Reject Programmer Request to Limit Access to Contracts

The American Cable Association has asked the Federal Communications Commission to deny a petition by some programmers that they not have to submit sensitive documents to the FCC, but instead have the FCC vet copies at the Justice Department, which is also reviewing the proposed mergers of Comcast/Time Warner Cable and AT&T/DirecTV.

The FCC had sought outside comment on whether the FCC should extend additional protections to copies of retransmission consent- and program carriage-related documents it is asking for in connection with the mergers. ACA called "unrealistic" the programmers fears that "parties obtaining access to their contracts under the Commission’s protective orders may violate the orders." It says such violations are rare and is trumped by the "public’s right to participate in a license transfer or assignment proceeding is an integral part of any review."