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DIGITAL
MUST CARRY: Cable operators are mandated, under federal law,
to carry the primary signal of all over-the-air TV stations in their operation
area. That requires cable operators to devote 6 MHz of scarce spectrum
to each and every broadcast station, without regard to its viewer ship
or quality of programming. Mandated carriage of duplicative signals would
require that valuable cable bandwidth be taken away from compelling nww
digital cable services such as new channels, high speed internet service,
telephony, and interactive services. As a result, millions of cable customers
would have fewer choices of services. The cable industry has committed
to carry the primary signal of broadcasters - as the industry does now
- at the conclusion of the digital transition when broadcasters return
their extra free spectrum to the government. In other words, all cable
customers would continue to receive what they receive today, the primary
signal of every broadcast TV station. For any additional services that
could be offered with the free grant of digital spectrum, the cable industry
has invited broadcasters to negotiate with cable operators for carriage
of those services, just like every other service provider does. The public
interest, and the interests of cable consumers, are best served by allowing
maximum flexibility for cable companies and operators to provide its customers
with the new digital services they want, not services they are ordered
by the government to receive. (NCTA, 6/26/01)
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