Washington report (Jan 1965)

Record Details:

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3 operators argue that the FCC lacks jurisdiction not only in the respects desired by ABC, but even in the limited areas which are the subject of Commission rule making in its Carter Mountain docket, its TV-CATV docket, and its CAR docket. There is considerable dispute in the pleadings as to whether the protection against CATV duplication should extend to the Grade B rather than the Grade A contour, whether more protection is warranted for UHF stations than for VHF stations, and whether the pro¬ tection should be accorded to both simultaneous and non-simultaneous duplication. 4 . Program Origination. Some concern has been voiced about program originations and advertising practices by CATV operators. The Commission in its TV-CATV docket is seeking information as to the exact extent of such program origination, including commercial announcements. Such practices amount, in effect, to pay-TV, a bug-a-boo for many commercial broadcasters far worse than CATV. For educational broadcasters, such practices have resulted in problems of commercial announcements inserted between educa¬ tional television offerings. Future problems may include program origination by CATV operators of educational and cultural programs, over which educa¬ tors may have little control with respect to quality, timing, distribution, etc. In a broader sense educational broadcasters must consider whether their non-commercial educational offerings will still maintain that image in the public mind if they are carried to large segments of the public by means of a pay-TV or even paid-CATV vehicle. It might, for instance, be difficult to secure regular ETV subscriptions from a viewer who is already paying regular substantial sums for CATV. 5. TV Satellites. The Commission's proposed rules do not include protection for TV satellite operations, defined as stations which do not originate at least 7 hours per week of local programing. Many commercial stations have opposed this limitation, on the theory that quite often satellite stations which start out with no local program origination later become independent local outlets. Satellite operation in the educational field is likewise becoming somewhat more common, with newer stations often-times relying heavily upon established ETV stations nearby. Multiple assignments in the same general area may well contemplate early stages in which the additional assignments are little more than satellite operations for particular viewing areas or particular segments of the viewing popu¬ lation. As such, ETV interests may have an interest in the Commission's proposals for satellites. 6. Translators. NCTA and the CATV operators argue that if strict duplication rules are to apnly to CATV, similar limitations should be imposed on translator operations. In a recent case (Wichita Television Corporation, Inc., FCC 64-993, released October 29 , 1964) , the Commission added a 15-day before and after duplication condition, which had been voluntarily agreed to by a UHF translator applicant at Salina, Kansas.