FCC Adopts Digital Must Carry Exemption for Small Cable Operators

August 26, 2008

On August 21, the FCC adopted an Order providing an exemption for small cable systems from the onerous digital must carry requirements after the digital transition set for February 17, 2009. This action comes after more than a year-long campaign by the ACA, which included numerous meetings and filings with the FCC and Congress.

Systems eligible for the exemption would not be required to carry the broadcasters' signal in a digital format, so long as it is available to all subscribers in a viewable analog format. The relief is available to cable systems with 2,500 subscribers or fewer, except for systems owned by Comcast or Time Warner because of certain criteria. In addition, all cable systems of 552 MHz or less would be covered, regardless of system ownership. Additional details of the Order have not yet been made available.

FCC News Release: Report and Order Adopted by the Commission (8/21)

Related News
ACA responds to FCC's must-carry decision (CED Magazine, 8/22)
NAB: We've Got Issues With DTV Order (Cable Digital News, 8/22)
FCC Grants Small Systems HD Exemption (Multichannel News, 8/22)
FCC OKs HD Waiver for Smaller Cable Ops (Broadcasting & Cable, 8/21)