Appendix C The Effect of the PCC's Syndicated Under the FCC's 1972 Cable Television Regulations, cable television systems in the top 100 television markets are generally permitted to carry all 'local' television stations and two (or three, in some instances) distant independent stations. Programming on the distant independent stations which is under contract to the local market television stations is subject to the FCC's syndicated exclusivity regulations. When a local-market station requests 'protection' of its programs under the exclusivity rules, a cable system must 'blackout' the programming on the imported stations which is also under contract to the local-market station. Requests for such protection are known by NCTA to be in force in new CATV systems in such markets as North Little Rock, Arkansas (Market #50); Hampton and Newport News, Virginia (Market #44); Scranton, Pennsylvania (Market #49); Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (Market #23); Albany, New York (Market #34); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Market #4); North Syracuse, New York (Market #35). Some examples of the effect of the exclusivity regulations in these television markets is shown below: (1) Scranton, Pa., is located in television Market #49 (Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pa.). There are three network stations in the market. The cable system in Due to exclusivity requests from all three market - or the equivalent of a total loss of one of the three distant stations. (2) Newport News, Va., is located in television market #44 (Norfolk-Hampton-Newport News-Portsmouth, Va.). There are three network stations and one independent station in the market. The cable system in Newport News imports two distant independent stations. At present only one of the four market stations requests exclusivity protection. Yet, in a recent week, requests for protection from this one station against one of the imported stations resulted in the 'blackout' of 21 percent of the full-day programs on the distant station. (3) Wauwatosa, Wi., is located in television market #23 (Milwaukee, Wi.). There are three network stations and one independent station in the market. The cable system, presently under construction, will import two independent stations when it becomes operational. Although the system is not yet in operation, it has already received written and verbal requests for syndicated program protection from all four market stations. The requests require that 62 percent of the daily programming of one distant station, and 58 percent of the daily programming of the other distant station be 'blacked out'. |