PITTSBURGH, June 11, 2015 – American Cable Association President and CEO Matthew M. Polka issued the following statement regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s order today extending the broadcast TV HD carriage exemption for the smallest cable TV providers:
“ACA commends the FCC for extending the HD carriage exemption permanently for some of the smallest cable systems in the country that offer no HD programming at all. This decision likely means that some of the most financially vulnerable cable systems can stay in business and provide competitive choice instead of being swamped by expenses incurred either to comply with the FCC’s prohibition on the ‘material degradation’ of HD broadcast signals or to file individual waiver requests with the agency.
“The FCC’s transition mechanism for systems that have been availing themselves of the previous HD exemption but will not be eligible for the new HD exemption because they provide some programming in HD is a fair compromise as it will allow them adequate time to either come into compliance or seek individual waivers.
“ACA believes that the FCC’s new definition of a small system eligible for the HD exemption and the associated transition mechanism are appropriate.”
About the American Cable Association: Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a trade organization representing about 850 smaller and medium-sized, independent cable companies who provide broadband services for nearly 7 million cable subscribers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA’s members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their business. For more information, visit https://acaconnects.org/