Cable networks including C-SPAN and Discovery Communications urged a federal judge Monday to void an FCC ruling that would force cable operators to carry some local TV stations in both analog and digital formats for three years, Multichannel News reports. An attorney representing the networks said carrying both formats after the Feb. 17 national transition to a digital format would unnecessarily eat up cable’s channel capacity, thereby threatening the ability of the networks to reach their audience. The networks are facing an uphill battle since National Cable & Telecommunications Association president Kyle McSlarrow promised his cable operator members would comply with the FCC ruling should the programmers get their way.
—Christopher Perez