The Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission is again stepping in to speed the resolution of a complaint that cable systems aren’t dealing fairly with an independent cable network, this time to the benefit of the NFL Network.
The Media Bureau today withdrew from an administrative judge the task of resolving the National Football League’s complaint that Comcast Cable Communications is illegally favoring its own sports networks over the NFL’s. The Media Bureau said the judge was taking too long to decide the case.
Instead, the Media Bureau indicated it will decide what action to take on the NFL’s program carriage dispute itself.
Today’s action follows a similar action the Media Bureau took last week on complaints filed by WealthTV and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network against Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Cox Communications and Comcast.
On Oct. 10, after reviewing complaints from all three cable networks, the Media Bureau ruled that there had been a “prima facie” showing of discrimination against all three networks by the cable system. It then sent all the complaints to an administrative law judge with instructions to report back with a decision within 60 days. Now the Media Bureau will resolve all three complaints.
The NFL said it wasn’t surprised at the action, given last week’s ruling.
“In the wake of last week’s Media Bureau decisions in similar cases brought by other independent channels, today’s ruling regarding NFL Network’s complaint against Comcast is no surprise,” an NFL Net representative said. “We continue to seek a prompt and fair resolution of the discrimination claim that we filed last May against Comcast. We hope that this ruling will clear the way for such a result.”
Comcast did not immediately respond to a request for comment.