00-14538. Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992; Horizontal Ownership Limits

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Final rule; lifting of stay.

SUMMARY:

This document announces that the Commission's voluntarily-imposed stay of the cable horizontal ownership rules was lifted on May 19, 2000 and that the cable horizontal ownership rules became effective on May 19, 2000.

DATES:

The stay of 47 CFR 76.503(a) through (f) was lifted May 19, 2000. Parties not in compliance with the horizontal ownership rules on this date must come into compliance on or before November 15, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Darryl Cooper at [phone] or via Internet at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Synopsis of Action

1. On its own motion, the Commission reconsidered the conditions under which it would lift the voluntarily-imposed stay of the horizontal ownership rules, 47 CFR 76.503. These rules were adopted and stayed in part on October 8, 1999 at 64 FR 67198 (Dec 1, 1999).

2. Subsequently, the Commission ordered that its horizontal ownership rules be stayed until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit issued a decision upholding the constitutionality of section 613(f)(1)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 533(f)(1)(A). The Commission also ordered that parties not in compliance with the rules on the date the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued such decision must come into compliance within 180 days of the court decision. This order was published in the Federal Register (65 FR 12135, March 8, 2000).

3. On May 19, 2000, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its decision, upholding the constitutionality of section 613(f)(1)(A) of the Act, as amended 47 U.S.C. 533(f)(1)(A).

Federal Communications Commission.

William H. Johnson,

Deputy Bureau Chief, Cable Services Bureau.