NTCA, WTA Backing ACA Push for Talking Guide Requirements Waiver

NTCA and WTA back the American Cable Association petition that some smaller MVPDs be waived from compliance with FCC Dec. 20 talking guide requirements (see 1806180050). In a docket 12-108 posting Tuesday, NTCA said the FCC assumed demand from big MVPDs would create supply of compliant devices, but "such has not proven to be the case" and full compliance would require some smaller MVPDs to largely re-engineer video distribution networks at great cost. WTA said the one commercially available option that covers all the accessibility features required is TiVo's Quattro system, but the cost of upgrades for small providers to deploy that is at least $100,000. WTA said more affordable options that use CableCARD don't cover all accessibility features, and analog systems can't use such plug-in devices. Rural Alabama MVPD Pine Belt Communications -- also backing the ACA petition -- said it looked into possible compliance offerings and didn't find one that doesn't involve a systemwide upgrade, which is "neither practical nor affordable."