[Steve Mehs]

The Federal Communications Commission will tackle the touchy issue of program access for satellite TV at its meeting Thursday.

The program access rules, contained in the 1992 Cable Act, allow satellite TV companies to access programming and content owned or dominated by cable interests. The rules are scheduled to sunset in October.

Satellite TV interests have been lobbying the FCC to keep the rules intact, while cable operators, such as Comcast, have been pushing for a sunset of the laws. Any FCC action also could deal with terrestrial delivery of cable programming, a loophole that prevents certain cable programming from reaching satellite TV viewers.

Comcast's SportsNet channel in Philadelphia uses terrestrial means to deliver the network to cable headends, while at the same time keeping the content out of the hands of satellite TV operators.

During the meeting Thursday, the commission will consider a report and order on program access rules and also will take a look at cable prices and its annual assessment of multichannel competition.

From SkyReport (Used with Permission)

 

[TNGTony]

My guess is the weasels at the FCC will push it off exactly as it is leaving the loop hole intact until 2006. Then the excrement will strike the oscilating rotating air flow device.

See ya
Tony

 

[Mark Holtz]

Anyone got a docket number for comments?