NCTA to FCC: Carriage Standstill Needs Prometheus-Like Public Vetting

Cable operators are using the Third Circuit decision in the media ownership rules case to argue the Federal Communications Commission needs to get more input on its program carriage proceeding, per Administrative Procedure Act requirements cited by the court.

Apparently, the FCC has approved (but is waiting for a final vote from FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell) new rules which would keep networks on systems during the resolution of carriage complaints or "true up" programmers through payments for the time they were not on the system if they win their complaint. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association is now arguing that, as a matter of procedure, the rules should not be adopted without being properly vetted, though with the order already approved by a majority of FCC commissioner that is a long-shot.