FCC Offers Relief for Independent Voices in Television and Sets the Stage for Cable Rate Reductions

FCC Offers Relief for Independent Voices in Television and Sets the Stage for Cable Rate Reductions

Independent Television Networks Applaud FCC's Commitment to Enforce Carriage Access Discrimination and Unbundling Reform

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- NAIN, the National Association of Independent Networks, applauds the FCC's recent decision to add carriage access discrimination enforcement reform and program unbundling to its upcoming agenda for the December 18th scheduled meeting. NAIN and its supporters have been actively seeking effective enforcement of the 1992 Cable Act and an end to discriminatory carriage practices currently deployed by some big cable companies against emerging networks.

"The FCC has signaled that it is serious about ensuring there is a level playing field in carriage decisions that is welcoming to independent voices. Carriage access discrimination reform is a big step forward in ensuring more programming competition that will lead to more meaningful choices and lower cable prices for the consumer," stated a NAIN spokesperson.

According to NAIN, both carriage access reform and unbundling will give rise to more independent networks and minority-focused programming reaching consumers. NAIN has been advocating for timely enforcement of carriage access discrimination by cable operators, a practice where some of today's largest cable companies give preferential treatment to networks they own and grant limited or no carriage access to similarly situated networks owned independently of the cable operator. This practice stifles programming diversity and competition and is one of the leading causes for ever increasing cable rates.

About NAIN, the National Association of Independent Networks

The National Association of Independent Networks, NAIN, is a trade organization dedicated to addressing the needs of independent cable programming networks in a positive and proactive way. NAIN's advocacy efforts for a more competitive programming environment benefit consumers with lower prices, higher quality programming, greater diversity and more choices. The group is comprised of well established independent cable programming networks along with pre and post launched emerging networks. NAIN represents a wide range of independent programming networks from sports related channels to some of the nation's most well established high definitions to minority focused networks. A partial list of founding members includes a wide range of channels from HITN, the Hispanic Information & Telecommunications Network, to The Horror Channel to WealthTV in HD. For more information, please visit http://www.nainonline.org/

For more information, contact:

Sarah Nunez
Public Relations Coordinator
Sarah.Nunez@NAINonline.org
NAINonline.org

Source: National Association of Independent Networks

CONTACT: Sarah Nunez, Public Relations Coordinator of National
Association of Independent Networks, +1-858-270-6900, ext. 103,
Sarah.Nunez@NAINonline.org

Web site: http://www.nainonline.org/

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