Congress must address important issues not contained in the Nov. ...

Congress must address important issues not contained in the Nov. 22 FCC Media Bureau report (CD Nov 22 p2), which concluded a pay per channel regime wouldn’t reduce most consumers’ costs, the American Cable Assn. said Wed. The FCC report to Congress found the average cable household would see rate increases under an a la carte scheme. ACA said the FCC report didn’t address: (1) How cable operators can offer more programming choice and lower costs while dealing with the wholesaling practices of media conglomerates. (2) Independent networks’ facing media conglomerates’ wholesale tying and bundling practices. “The FCC may have a continuing role in addressing some of these issues in specific rulemakings,” said ACA Pres. Matthew Polka, “but basically the focus will shift back to Congress to review and digest the report and review telecom laws beginning in 2005.” Polka said he recognized Congress probably wouldn’t complete legislation next year, but at least “earnest” study of the issues would get underway. “Would we like to solve these issues tomorrow? Sure. But we are prepared to raise these issues for the long term.”