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FCC's Martin Hints at Enforcement with Digital Inquiry
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Could Comcast and other companies in the cable industry face fines for a perceived inadequate response to regulator inquiries into the industry's digital programming tiers?
At issue is a request made by the Federal Communications Commission to cable operators and other pay-TV services concerning their handling of programming changes from analog to digital. The cable business has expressed its displeasure with the inquiry, responses for which were due to the FCC last week.
While speaking with reporters Tuesday, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin hinted that a few MSOs, including Comcast, the nation's biggest cable operator, could face fines for inadequate responses to the request for information.
Martin said some of the companies failed to respond completely to the agency's questions, and thus may face enforcement action. As for Comcast, "They didn't even answer the questions directly. They had a narrative," the FCC chairman said, as quoted by press reports.
Comcast has maintained that it would have taken 1,500 employee hours to gather one year's worth of what the commission had requested in its letter.
Companies asked for the information were GCI, RCN, Cox, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon, Suddenlink, Cablevision, Bright House, Charter, Bend Cable, Midcontinent and Metrocast.
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Could Comcast and other companies in the cable industry face fines for a perceived inadequate response to regulator inquiries into the industry's digital programming tiers?
At issue is a request made by the Federal Communications Commission to cable operators and other pay-TV services concerning their handling of programming changes from analog to digital. The cable business has expressed its displeasure with the inquiry, responses for which were due to the FCC last week.
While speaking with reporters Tuesday, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin hinted that a few MSOs, including Comcast, the nation's biggest cable operator, could face fines for inadequate responses to the request for information.
Martin said some of the companies failed to respond completely to the agency's questions, and thus may face enforcement action. As for Comcast, "They didn't even answer the questions directly. They had a narrative," the FCC chairman said, as quoted by press reports.
Comcast has maintained that it would have taken 1,500 employee hours to gather one year's worth of what the commission had requested in its letter.
Companies asked for the information were GCI, RCN, Cox, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon, Suddenlink, Cablevision, Bright House, Charter, Bend Cable, Midcontinent and Metrocast.