Cites decision to let stations email election notices to MVPDs

The FCC Wednesday (July 10) unanimously approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to allow cable and satellite operators to transition some of their paper notifications to broadcasters to electronic delivery.

That came at the same monthly meeting that the commissioners voted unanimously on a Report & Order (R&O) that now allows TV stations to notify MVPDs of their carriage election changes by email rather than the tree-killing certified mail requirement.

Currently, when cable operators begin service in a market or delete or reposition a broadcast station they must inform the broadcaster by mail, certified mail or hand delivery.

Pointing out that the proposal was consistent with the carriage R&O approved Wednesday, the NRPM proposes to allow those to be delivered via email to the station's designated inbox in its FCC online inspection file. It asks whether that should be extended to satellite MVPD notices to stations as well.

It also seeks comment on whether and how to extend that to notices to low power and translator stations that don't have an FCC public file.