The FCC and the Politics of Cable TV Regulation, 1952-1980: Organ ...

Chapter 1

Introduction

The years 1952–1980 constituted a formative period in the history of US cable television regulation. During this time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) formulated enduring components of contemporary cable regulation including the must-carry rules, programming exclusivity rules, and the requirement that cable systems make public access channels available to local communities. Developing a workable regulatory regime for cable television, however, proved challenging. For the first decade, the FCC declined to regulate the industry, instead allowing it to mature in an unfettered marketplace. Then, in the mid-1960s, the FCC changed course, imposing regulation amid concerns that cable might cause economic harm to the broadcasting industry. In late 1968, the FCC concluded that these initial regulations were inadequate and began the process of finding a new regulatory approach. In 1972, after more than three years of proceedings, the