Ombudsman Looking Into Leased Access Complaints
Leased access programmers asking for same access to head-ends via internet.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/10/2009 10:15:01 AM
The congressionally created Office of the National Ombudsman says the FCC is "working to a get a response" to leased access programmer Charlie Stogner.
Stogner for months has been trying to get an answer as to whether cable operators are required to provide him the same access to their head-ends via the Internet that they do non-leased access programmers like, say, HBO.
According to an e-mail from a case manager to Stogner, the ombudsman's office has been in contact with the FCC and has been assured that the commission is working on a response.
The Office of National Ombudsman was created to request a "a high-level review by appropriate agency personnel of a small business' treatment during a regulatory enforcement action."
It also reports annually to Congress with an evaluation of the enforcement actions of various agencies and personnel.
Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps has asked the bureaus to start moving on some noncontroversial decisions, seeking to clear up what he calls a "backlog of routine items, which gave Stogner, who heads the Leased Access Programmers Association, some hope that he would finally get a ruling.
Stogner says he is paying a hundred dollars a month in eight different places while other non-leased programmers, HBO for example, not only get free satellite reception but operators put up the dish and all the equipment.
Stogner says that while FCC staffers regularly meet with representatives of the cable industry to discuss their concerns, the same does not hold for leased access programmers.
"I simply cannot understand why an agency that apparently if entrusted to see the will of Congress is done, in this case in fairly implementing leased access, absolutely refuses to even discuss the variety of problems leased access programmers have with individual cable sites," he says.
For the time being, the DTV transition and the issues involved with changing the hard date to June 12 are the principal focus of the commission, said a spokesman.
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The government can add it own stimulus to the economy without spending a dime, by action on issues that will create jobs abd spark the economy. Why does it take so long to make a decision that aids and promotes the use of leased access in a manner envisioned by Congress so long ago. I hope the changed in administration's will breakup the logjam and speed up the process so that people can actually run businesses without bowing to the whims of the cable companies who would rather see leased access go away.
Duane Polich - 2/20/2009 1:52:54 AM EST -
The FCC, whom once evaluated on the basis of what's best for the public interest, has now adopted policies and procedures that insure the public that it was created to protect has little access. Cable companies snub their noses, ignore public comments, and lobby for their own interests. It appears the FCC is adopting the arrogance of the cable companies by delaying response in a timely manner. Will the new chairman be a friend of cable or an advocate for the public interest?
David Croyle - 2/11/2009 2:20:00 PM EST -
This is great. FCC is now telling the office of ombudsman the same story they told Sen Wicker back last August when they wrote: they had "recently completed its review of the record developed in the proceeding and currently is drafting a decision to address the issues raised in the Petition".
Boy, the snails pass them by.
Charlie Stogner - 2/10/2009 9:45:37 AM EST
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