NFL Network Seeks FCC Intervention
By Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 8/1/2006 10:59:00 PM
NFL Network Tuesday went to the Federal Communications Commission, claiming that Time Warner Cable violated federal rules by abruptly dropping the channel from cable systems newly acquired from Adelphia Communications.
In the filing, the NFL asserted that FCC rules require cable operators to provide consumers a 30-day notice before dropping a channel if carriage of the channel “is within the control of the cable operator.”
NFLN told the FCC that it gave Time Warner permission to carry the network for 30 days. Dropping the channel immediately violated FCC rules, NFL said, because whether to carry the channel on a short-term basis was within Time Warner’s control.
“Time Warner is using the occasion of a cable system transfer to aggressively pursue its private business strategy, but it is doing so in clear violation of consumer protection provisions embodies in [FCC rules],” the NFL said in a 16-page filing.
NFL Network asked the FCC to step in and require Time Warner to restore carriage for the required 30-day period.
Time Warner Cable officials said the company hasn’t done anything wrong. “We are in full compliance with the FCC’s notification rules and believe this filing is frivolous,” spokesman Keith Cocozza said.
