The U.S. Court of Appeals Friday threw out the FCC's cap on the number of cable subscribers one operator can serve, reports
B&C, calling the agency "derelict" in not giving DBS its due as a
legitimate competitor. Comcast argued that the 30% subscriber limit was arbitrary and capricious, and the court agreed. It said there was evidence of an increasingly competitive marketplace. New FCC
chairman Julius Genachowski countered that the court decision would not be the final word on the cap.
"As part of the Cable Act, Congress required the commission to adopt horizontal ownership
limits to enhance effective competition in the cable television marketplace," he said in a statement. "The FCC staff is currently reviewing the Court's decision with respect to the limit previously
adopted and the commission will take this decision fully into account in future action to implement the law."
advertisement
advertisement
Cable options are thin. There should be more. We need a break through in TV via cellular since erecting towers is cheap compared to wiring up houses. Each market really should have at least 7-10 competitors.