[mythtv-users] OT: cable TV moving broadcast channel to digital tier?

[Brian Wood]

On Tuesday 21 July 2009 20:13:45 Marc Barrett wrote:
> There are two public TV stations in this area, and my local
> cable TV company recently moved one of them to the digital-only
> tier, so that station is not available to someone who has
> "basic" or "extended basic" cable.  (That is, cable without a
> set-top box)  I was under the impression that this is illegal,
> that cable TV companies can't move "local" or "broadcast"
> channels to a digital-only tier.  Am I wrong in this?

I understood that if a station was available off-air in the market they had to 
make it available somehow, perhaps even by supplying a box for free.

I think there are exceptions though, is the station in question a full-power 
station? Is it "significantly viewed" by people with antennas?

A staton can request must carry status, or demand retransmission fees, if it 
chooses the latter the cable company does not have to carry them at all, and 
in fact may not carry them, if an agreement can't be reached.

So you are correct in most cases, but there could be circumstances that make 
it allowable, or even mandated. It's dangerous to generalize without knowing 
the details.

-- 
Brian Wood
beww at beww.org