FCC: Time Warner Discriminated Against MASN
Cable company denied network carriage in North Carolina
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/30/2008 3:40:00 PM
The FCC's media bureau has upheld
that Time Warner Cable discriminated against the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) by denying it carriage in North Carolina.
The complaint had been filed July 2. The FCC has 60 days to respond, but can give it an extra 60 days and
in this case given "the substantial record compiled in the course of the year-long arbitration process."
An arbitrator had concluded that Time Warner deliberately discriminated against MASN, saying that Time Warner “had both motive and opportunity to discriminate" in favor of its own regional sports network.
Time Warner had argued that since it offered to carry MASN on a digital tier, it was not denying carriage.
The decision is separate from another handful of program carriage complaints that will be r
eviewed by administrative law judges
, including ones involving MASN and Time Warner.
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MASN Was approached at its inception by a minority company to do the production and provide technical equipment for its remote broadcasts. MASN would not even grant a meeting. Discrimination??? What goes around comes around to both to MASN and the late National Mobile Television.
Larry W. - 8/18/2009 3:30:30 PM EDT
