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Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of )
)
Charter Communications, Inc. ) File No. EB-03-TS-090
)
Operator of 153 Cable Systems in 24 States )
)
Petition for Declaratory Relief and/or Waiver of )
the Commission's Emergency Alert System )
Requirements for Cable Television Systems )
ORDER
Adopted: July 21, 2004 Released: July 21, 2004
By the Director, Office of Homeland Security, Enforcement Bureau:
1. In this Order, we grant Charter Communications, Inc.
(Charter) a temporary waiver of section 11.11(a) of the
Federal Communications Commission's (Commission) Rules for the
153 cable television systems in 24 states listed in Appendix
A. Section 11.11(a) required that, no later than October 1,
2002, cable systems serving fewer than 5,000 subscribers from
a headend provide national level Emergency Alert System (EAS)
messages on all programmed channels, or provide such messages
on at least one programmed channel, with video interrupts and
audio alerts on all other programmed channels.1
2. The Cable Act of 1992 added new section 624(g) to the
Communications Act of 1934, which requires that cable systems
be capable of providing EAS alerts to their subscribers.2 In
1994, the Commission adopted rules requiring cable systems to
participate in EAS.3 In 1997, the Commission amended the EAS
rules to provide financial relief for small cable systems.4
The Commission declined to exempt small cable systems from the
EAS requirements, concluding that such an exemption would be
inconsistent with the statutory mandate of section 624(g).5
However, the Commission extended the deadline for cable
systems serving fewer than 10,000 subscribers to begin
complying with the EAS rules to October 1, 2002, and provided
cable systems serving fewer than 5,000 subscribers the option
of either providing national level EAS messages on all
programmed channels or installing EAS equipment and providing
a video interrupt and audio alert on all programmed channels
and EAS audio and video messages on at least one programmed
channel.6 In addition, the Commission stated that it would
grant waivers of the EAS rules to small cable systems on a
case-by-case basis upon a showing of financial hardship.7
3. On August 14, 2002, Charter filed a petition for
declaratory relief and/or waiver seeking Commission approval
of an alternative means for approximately 146 small cable
systems that have digital transmission capability
(participating systems) to comply with the EAS rules.
Specifically, Charter requests that the Commission declare
that it can satisfy the EAS rules by using a satellite
communications system to deliver national EAS messages to the
participating systems and that it need not install a full set
of EAS equipment at each of the systems in order to receive
and retransmit the national EAS messages. At the request of
the Enforcement Bureau, Charter supplemented its petition on
May 30, 2003 to provide additional background on testing and
monitoring, and again on December 8, 2003 to clarify that the
number of cable systems for which it was seeking relief was
153, not 146. In May, 2004, Charter withdrew its request for
a declaratory ruling filing, asking rather that we treat its
petition as a timely filed (i.e., as of August 14, 2002)
request for a waiver of the requirement to install EAS
equipment at each of the subject small cable systems.8
4. Charter asserts that installing a full set of EAS
equipment at each of the participating systems would impose a
significant financial burden on the company. In this regard,
Charter states that, using the Commission's estimated
equipment cost of $6,000 to $10,000 per system,9 the total
cost of EAS equipment for the participating systems would be
between $876,000 and $1,460,000. Based on our review of the
information provided by Charter, we agree that Charter has
shown sufficient economic hardship to warrant temporary
waivers of section 11.11(a) of the Rules for the 153 cable
systems listed in Appendix A, and grant Charter a waiver of
these rules until October 1, 2005.10
5. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Sections
0.111, 0.204(b) and 0.311 of the Rules,11 Charter
Communications, Inc. IS GRANTED a waiver of Sections 11.11(a),
11.52(d) and 11.61 of the Rules as specified herein and the
request for a declaratory ruling IS DISMISSED AS MOOT because
it was withdrawn by Charter Communications, Inc.
6. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Charter Communications, Inc.
place a copy of this waiver in its system files.
7. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a copy of this Order shall
be sent by certified mail return receipt requested to counsel
for Charter Communications, Inc., Steven J. Horvitz, Esq.,
Cole, Raywid & Braverman, L.L.P., 1919 Pennsylvania Avenue,
N.W., Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20006.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
James A. Dailey
Director, Office of Homeland Security
Enforcement Bureau
Appendix A
Charter Communications, Inc.
Cable System All Temporary Waivers Granted Until
PSID
October 1, 2005
Berry, Alabama 011361
Cedar Bluff, Alabama
008707
Centerville, Alabama / Centerville, Tennessee
002280
Centerville, Alabama / Centerville, Tennessee
008877
Cherokee, Alabama 000290
Colombiana, Alabama
002282
Curry, Alabama 015471
Double Springs, Alabama 015472
Elgin, Alabama 006028
Gurley, Alabama 011236
Hackberry, Alabama 009809
Haleyville, Alabama
000102
Heflin, Alabama 001131
Henegar, Alabama 003279
Hokes Bluff, Alabama
010710
Lay Lake, Alabama 016682
Leighton, Alabama 009746
Locust Fork, Alabama
012037
Oakman, Alabama 015473
Rainsville, Alabama
008121
Southside, Alabama 010711
Thorsby, Alabama 009683
Trafford, Alabama 011965
West Blockton, Alabama 013995
Westover, Alabama 012036
Hardy, Arkansas 005387
Maumelle, Arkansas 003298
King City, California
003172
Soledad, California
008541
Julesburg, Colorado
006734
Cusetta, Georgia 013366
Greenville, Georgia
009208
Greenville, Georgia
009238
Woodbury, Georgia 009239
Zebulon, Georgia 009237
Cable System All Temporary Waivers Granted Until
PSID
October 1, 2005
Anna, Illinois
006881
Mount Carmel, Illinois
005160
Fairfield, Indiana 000142
Fairfield, Indiana 002375
Hillsboro, Indiana / Hillsboro, West Virginia
003966
Hillsboro, Indiana / Hillsboro, West Virginia
007941
Mitchell, Indiana 002818
Mitchell, Indiana 014525
Black Mountain, Kentucky 011453
Boyle, Kentucky 013473
Columbia, Kentucky 000001
Columbia, Kentucky 000033
Columbia, Kentucky 000292
Columbia, Kentucky 008186
Eolia, Kentucky
008044
McKinney, Kentucky 002471
Wallins Creek, Kentucky 007030
Basile, Louisiana 008688
Cameron, Louisiana 009810
Cameron, Louisiana 020300
Esterwood, Louisiana
012458
Ferriday, Louisiana
000881
Iowa, Louisiana
008691
Jonesville, Louisiana
000886
Merryville, Louisiana
011410
Olla, Louisiana
007046
Crisfield, Maryland
008138
Newberry, Michigan 001527
St. Ignace, Michigan
001525
Babbitt, Minnesota 000926
Balaton, Minnesota 005803
Canby, Minnesota 004066
Ely, Minnesota
004094
Glencoe, Minnesota 009817
Glencoe, Minnesota 013666
Montevideo, Minnesota
003105
Tower, Minnesota 012093
Cable System All Temporary Waivers Granted Until
PSID
October 1, 2005
Belmont, Mississippi
007212
Burnsville, Mississippi / Burnsville, West Virginia
007200
Burnsville, Mississippi / Burnsville, West Virginia
007644
Burnsville, Mississippi / Burnsville, West Virginia
009286
Fayette, Mississippi
010963
Bowling Green, Missouri / Bowling Green, Virginia
002679
Bowling Green, Missouri / Bowling Green, Virginia
004475
California, Missouri
006046
El Dorado Springs, Missouri
004085
Nevada, Missouri 001876
Potosi, Missouri 005593
Vandalia, Missouri 005549
Versailles, Missouri
007197
West Plains, Missouri
011635
Broken Bow, Nebraska
002764
Chadron, Nebraska 028197
Gordon, Nebraska 028297
Mc Cook, Nebraska 002744
Gates, North Carolina
014077
Kenly, North Carolina
010955
Princeton, North Carolina
010956
Troy, North Carolina
001139
Troy, North Carolina
004609
Troy, North Carolina
005964
Troy, North Carolina
010268
Haileyville, Oklahoma
000427
Longtown, Oklahoma 010835
Verdigris, Oklahoma
020304
Wilburton, Oklahoma
020324
Myrtle Creek, Oregon
000505
Iva, South Carolina
008949
Clifton, Tennessee 014458
Flintville, Tennessee
016358
Loretto, Tennessee 007713
McEwen, Tennessee 010512
Mountain City, Tennessee
007708
Cable System All Temporary Waivers Granted Until
PSID
October 1, 2005
Ten Mile, Tennessee
013378
Sneedville, Tennessee
000387
Waynesboro, Tennessee 004080
Alvarado, Texas 009998
Bracketville, Texas 004381
Coleman, Texas 000740
Coleman, Texas 003442
Coleman, Texas 011665
Colorado City, Texas
007759
Comanche, Texas 006418
Devine, Texas 010559
Haskell, Texas
005418
Shiner, Texas 005244
Wills Point, Texas 012523
Accomack, Virginia 001804
Belle Haven, Virginia
005659
Cape Charles, Virginia
010579
Clarksville, Virginia
007709
Clarksville, Virginia
008497
Colonial Beach, Virginia
001136
Damascus, Virginia 009491
Farmville, Virginia
000532
Lawrenceville, Virginia
000610
Lawrenceville, Virginia
001135
Tappahonnock, Virginia 002680
Warsaw, Virginia 003575
Warsaw, Virginia 003583
Warsaw, Virginia 006988
Ansted, West Virginia
007967
Bellington, West Virginia
002610
Dingess, West Virginia
010596
Gassaway, West Virginia 003194
Gilbert, West Virginia
009595
Glenville, West Virginia
007945
Grantsville, West Virginia
000569
Harrisville, West Virginia
000568
Harts, West Virginia
009890
Jenkins, West Virginia
000141
Matewan, West Virginia 010960
Page, West Virginia
020285
Cable System All Temporary Waivers Granted Until
PSID
October 1, 2005
Richwood, West Virginia 000389
Scarbro, West Virginia
005732
Webster Springs, West Virginia
002017
Lancaster, Wisconsin
000622
Wautoma, Wisconsin 006013
_________________________
1 47 C.F.R. § 11.11(a).
2 Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of
1992, Pub. L. No. 102-385, § 16(b), 106 Stat. 1460, 1490 (1992).
Section 624(g) provides that ``each cable operator shall comply
with such standards as the Commission shall prescribe to ensure
that viewers of video programming on cable systems are afforded
the same emergency information as is afforded by the emergency
broadcasting system pursuant to Commission regulations ....'' 47
U.S.C. § 544(g).
3 Amendment of Part 73, Subpart G, of the Commission's Rules
Regarding the Emergency Broadcast System, Report and Order and
Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 10 FCC Rcd 1786 (1994),
reconsideration granted in part, denied in part, 10 FCC Rcd 11494
(1995).
4 Amendment of Part 73, Subpart G, of the Commission's Rules
Regarding the Emergency Broadcast System, Second Report and
Order, 12 FCC Rcd 15503 (1997).
5 Id. at 15512-13.
6 Id. at 15516-15518.
7 Id.at 15513.
8 E-mail confirmation of agreement concerning this matter
dated May 28, 2004.
9 Second Report and Order, 12 FCC Rcd at 15515.
10 As in past cases, this waiver also extends to the EAS
monitoring and testing requirements. We recognize that we do not
reach the merits of Charter's proposal that its satellite system
can substitute for the EAS system provided for in our rules. We
note that the Commission intends to initiate a proceeding in the
near future to explore certain issues, including the application
of EAS to digital and satellite technologies.
11 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.111, 0.204(b) and 0.311.