WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday voted to restrict cable-TV companies from owning more than 30 percent of the U.S. market, restoring a cap set aside by a federal court in 2001.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin was joined by the two Democratic members of the panel in the vote, which was opposed by the two Republicans.
“While competition has reduced cable’s dominance, concentration remains a very serious concern,” Democratic commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said before the vote.
Comcast Corp., the largest U.S. cable service and the dominant provider in Colorado, opposed the proposal, saying cable providers’ market share has eroded since then because of competition from companies such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.
Bloomberg News
