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Four Lawmakers, FCC Member, Church Call for MustaCar y Rules
<br />W&9H IN(i R)N—Four oar,,w d
<br />men. a Fecland Communications
<br />Commission member and the
<br />United Church of Christ last
<br />weekjmrandthe call for reinitere-
<br />mental muetarry meakrcable
<br />systems.
<br />The United Church of Christ
<br />mid it plane to appal to the Su-
<br />prerne Court the December U.S.
<br />Court of Appeals decision that
<br />declared the FCC s must-arry
<br />trheulelesevAtiusiomn nStai tion. iInntdhUeeCpaeCprdpjeouomu
<br />ctiono
<br />TwhleNatinal oemianlst,
<br />Aemdaua of
<br />Broadcasters and public broad -
<br />"man mill over then nest courm
<br />of action.
<br />Two Drm,na, rand rwn Re-
<br />pabl icans on the House subcom-
<br />mittee on telemmmunicatione 8
<br />finance sent s letter to ita chair-
<br />man, Rep. Edward Markey ID.
<br />MA), urging him to focus on the
<br />mueta" iseve during Ibe body'.
<br />upcoming hearings.
<br />'As we read the holding in the
<br />reomt Century ram the coun d id
<br />not hold must -carry, seise nnoa-
<br />etitutional per sa but instead
<br />pointed to the failure to provide
<br />a record adequate to support the
<br />proposed regulations;' Reps.
<br />Dennis Eckart ID -OH), Dan
<br />Coats IR-INI, John Bryant JD-
<br />TR 1 and Michael Oxley I R-OHI
<br />wens in the letter.
<br />By Larry J.flm
<br />"The romprehemise hearings
<br />tobe conduned by the eubwm-
<br />mitt« hates the potential to pro-
<br />vide an appropriate nod: a m-
<br />cord on which Congrtm, the
<br />courts, and the FCC can rely, the
<br />legislator mid.
<br />The congressmen mid while
<br />they hamenol prejudged what epe-
<br />cifc responses should be taken,
<br />"we beliete that it itism, ime (ass Con-
<br />gre,s to dirtNy erase ins the legal
<br />and market foundations which
<br />mightjuedfy a musarry, obliga-
<br />tion and that the upturning l mr-
<br />inge would be a proper form:"
<br />A subcommittee side mid the
<br />dates for the hearings, which will
<br />look at various aspects of the ca-
<br />ble industry, have not been cat yet.
<br />Also Jut week, FCC Commis-
<br />. seer James QusH, speaking at
<br />Telcos May Receive Go -Ahead
<br />To Compete with Cable: Analyst
<br />By Larry Jon"
<br />aroma inlikely to continue even
<br />Fibeare mptics aaddithmelly
<br />WASHINGTON—The able
<br />with the regulatory climate
<br />important for developing future
<br />television industry's streak of
<br />recently taming against the
<br />technological developments
<br />prrtdaegulNian vicbrwamighl
<br />s.A
<br />requiring more chased mysr-
<br />bebroken inthe near future with
<br />� j�i6osvila cited the narnt
<br />wr^• much as highdefmition
<br />the
<br />tomibilitY of the prohibition
<br />U.S. Court of Appeal. decision
<br />television, he added.
<br />against
<br />telephone rompanies
<br />that mum -Carty nudes are mcon-
<br />Itmight bethreeorfouryeam
<br />owning able TV system.all being
<br />stitutiord as an example that
<br />before it is economically jusf i-
<br />Iifted,accordingLoa Wall
<br />eB
<br />"cable can! even kse one on
<br />able
<br />ly into the home, which is why
<br />Speekingetthmanumblyan't-
<br />pmwE'
<br />Hoowever. the psychological
<br />such research and dev,dopment
<br />ing of the Washington Metro
<br />becklshag^iv cableupe -
<br />e
<br />by the cable industry itself is
<br />politen Cable Club, Dennis
<br />ed by regulators. includingCrm-
<br />important, Mr. Leihmwite mid,
<br />Leibowits• senior vice president
<br />green, and egged an by (lolly-
<br />refemng to pending cable/fiber
<br />of Donaldson, Lufkin d Jeannie.
<br />woad might be enough for cable
<br />projects by American Television
<br />mid cable stocks generally have
<br />a Communications Corp. and
<br />recoveredfrom0ewber'emarket
<br />to lose whet Mr. Leibowiteterm-
<br />Irving Kahn.
<br />crash with high valuation in the
<br />ed the rams important issue
<br />On financial subjects, the
<br />private market.
<br />among many facing the industry:
<br />media analyst mid his firm has
<br />Even with the prospeetof telco
<br />the Is of talcum.
<br />shortened its recommended buy
<br />competition, cable companies
<br />Telco. ere a threat to cable
<br />list to Tele-Communiations
<br />should continue to be one of the
<br />because they already have been
<br />Inc., which "is selling at half of
<br />most attractive investments for
<br />replacing their ropperwireewith
<br />what it is worth," and Jones
<br />several reasons, he mid. '"Hue
<br />optical frbv, which hahmmems
<br />Iutercahle Inc. Before the Ott o-
<br />businessunotcycliml they grow
<br />capacity for distributing cable
<br />ber clash, Donaldson had oho
<br />fasterthmtheeconomymndpro
<br />televhion signals, he mid.
<br />recommended ATC. Rogers
<br />duce extra, eaahflow," Mr.
<br />Cmmmtmic^tione Inc. and Cen-
<br />Leibowi, mid.
<br />tury Communicetiona Corp., he
<br />He added that cable has be-
<br />added. ❑
<br />come suth a dominac, rand effec-
<br />tive entertainment fore " hmbed-
<br />ded it p,pular culture" that its
<br />the Alabama Brudcasten As
<br />eocistion meeting in Tuacakase.
<br />AL, mid the congressional he.r-
<br />inga should be used to, establish
<br />the record for a must -carry &I
<br />pal.
<br />He blamed the FCC for being
<br />the decision because the agency
<br />did not develop "marry practical
<br />gowmment-interest argumens"
<br />Public broadcasters, Mr. Quell.
<br />mid, should not hoe to depend
<br />upro"Plea bvgaining or dw gm-
<br />erosity o1 a bat able company
<br />to reach the audience they ere of-
<br />ficially licensed by the gmern-
<br />ment m serve."
<br />Mr. Quello made similar re-
<br />marks at the recent INTV ea-
<br />wntion late Muhichaarsel Nero,
<br />Jan. 18, page 34).
<br />Henry Geller, an attorney who
<br />is drr''ing the appeal for UCC,
<br />mid 'se appellate court men
<br />looked the mein issa eeonceming
<br />the mun.arry mice. "Cable is
<br />enmedted with bradau;' he
<br />amid.
<br />Ile elan blamed the FCC for
<br />being "indifferent" while adopt.
<br />ing the last version of the struck.
<br />damemsuirt
<br />
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