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Section 543(m)(2) (1996).  xThe Commission's rules currently define one percent of all cable subscribers in the United States as  S- xequivalent to 617,000 subscribers. ~ {O- xԍ 47 C.F.R. Section 76.1403(b). See Implementation of Cable Act Reform Provisions of the  yO-Telecommunications Act of 1996, 11 FCC Rcd 5937 (1996). The Commission's rules also define an affiliated entity as one which  x"holds a 20 percent or greater equity interest, passive or active, in the operator or exercises de jure or de  Sp- xfacto control over the operator."M p~ yO-ԍ 47 C.F.R. Section 76.1403(c) (1996).M In the 1996 Act, Congress determined that, effective February 8, 1996,  xthe Commission shall not apply its CPST rate regulation rules, promulgated under Sections 623(a), (b)  S - xand (c) of the Communications Act, ~ XR-ԍ#Xj\  P6G;ynXP# #X\  P6G;ɒP#47 U.S.C. Sections 543(a) (c) (1996). to a small cable operator in any franchise area in which that operator  S -services 50,000 or fewer subscribers. C~ {O!- xԍ Section 623(m)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Section 543(m)(1) (1996).  {O"-See also 47 C.F.R. Section 76.1403(a).  S - ` 2x4.` ` Our review reveals that Operator is a small cable company pursuant to Section 623(m)(2)  S - xof the Communications Act.L ~ yO&-ԍ 47 U.S.C. Section 543(m)(2) (1996).L Because Operator serves fewer than 50,000 subscribers in the franchise area  xin which the community listed above is located, the Operator's CPST rates in this community have"X/,p(p(88"  xeffectively been deregulated by the 1996 Act. The complaint against the Operator in this community was  x0filed prior to the passage of the 1996 Act. We conclude, given all of the circumstances presented  xincluding, in particular, the Congressional finding that post1996 CPST rate regulation is unjustified for  xsystems of this size, that there is no likelihood that adjudication of this complaint through to the end of  x=the process would result in a net rate benefit to subscribers. To the contrary, this process would engage  xthe resources of both the private parties involved and the Commission, while the system operator, in light  xof Section 623(m), could not effectively be restricted from offsetting any possible prior years' liability  S- xagainst a contemporaneous actual or putative rate increase."~ yOP- xԍ Subscribers who may have been overcharged by Operator in the past and have since discontinued cable service  xare not generally paid refund amounts in any event. The Commission's rules permits cable operators to credit refund  {O - x<amounts to the class of subscribers that currently subscribe to the cable programming service tier. See 47 C.F.R. Section 76.961(b)(2) (1996). Accordingly, the complaint will be  xdismissed. We find this course of action not only consistent with Section 623 but necessary to implement  xthe Congressional intent embodied in the small company provisions of the 1996 Act and to avoid futile  Sp-adjudications.p~ yO- x,ԍ In this regard we note that the Communications Act provides the Commission with wide discretion to resolve  {O- xrate complaints pending before it. See, e.g., Section 4(j) of the Communications Act ("Commission may conduct  {OT- x<its proceedings in such manner as will best conduce to the proper dispatch and to the ends of justice."). See also  {O- x-Sections 4(i), 303(r), 623(b)(2)(A);  New York State Department of Law v. FCC, 984 F. 2d 1209, 1213 (DC Cir.  {O-1993).  ą x  S - ` x5.` ` Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Section 76.962 of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. Section 76.962, that Operator's Refund Plan IS APPROVED.  S - ` x6.` ` IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Sections 4(i), 4(j), 303(r) and 623(m) of the  xLCommunications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Sections 154(i), 154(j) 303(r) and 543(m), that the  x"complaint against the CPST rates charged by Operator in the community referenced above IS DISMISSED.  S- ` x7.` ` This action is taken pursuant to delegated authority under Section 0.321 of the  xCommission's rules, 47 C.F.R. Section 0.321. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause or  xphrase of this Order is declared invalid for any reason, the remaining portions of this Order shall be severable from the invalid part and shall remain in full force and effect. x` `  hhFEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION x` `  hhElizabeth W. Beaty x` `  hhChief, Financial Analysis and Compliance Division  S(-x` `  hhCable Services Bureau#Xj\  P6G;ynXP#