Cable Legally Challenging Franchise Fees Wouldn't Surprise, CCG Says

A cable industry legal challenge to the requirement it pay franchise fees wouldn't be surprising, given the imbalance between heavily regulated cable and not-at-all regulated over-the-top services, CCG Consulting President Doug Dawson blogged Friday. The cable industry has a strong argument OTT enjoys a competitive leg up by not having to pay franchise fees, he said. NCTA didn't comment. FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly was critical of the cable franchise rules regime and fees in a Media Institute talk last week (see 2007290039).