Music to Cable's Ear

FCC commish Jonathan Adelstein says multicast must-carry and á la carte pricing are 2 areas where the FCC should show more restraint. "Absent any clear benefit for the public, multicast must-carry is Exhibit A of government overreach and over-regulation," the Dem told a Progress and Freedom Foundation summit in Aspen this week, according to prepared remarks. "Turning to a potential Exhibit B is mandatory á la carte pricing. We need to carefully consider how regulation may affect consumers by undercutting the business models of many segments of the media and entertainment industry." Adelstein criticized the FCC’s recent á la carte report contradicting a 2004 study’s finding that such a pricing model would hurt consumers; he said it failed to fully analyze basic economic costs and didn’t consider the obligation to promote diversity of programming.