Comcast proposes $225,000 settlement for FCC violations -- charged by IBEW and CWA

On Oct. 22, 2004, Comcast agreed to pay $225,000 to the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) to settle a complaint filed by
the Communications Workers of America and the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers almost one year ago for
repeated violation of the FCC's Public File rule.

The FCC rule requires cable operators to make available to the
public upon request during regular business hours information
about children's programming, political ads, equal employment,
and signal leakage in the local community.

In a complaint filed nearly a year ago, CWA and the IBEW
uncovered more than 113 violations in a review of 225 Comcast
locations. Comcast either refused to allow access to the public
file, sent us on a wild goose chase back and forth to different
locations, or did not have a complete public file.

Comcast, in its own submissions, admitted to extensive
violations.

In this consent decree, Comcast agreed to maintain a public file
available to the public during regular business hours in each
technically integrated cable system, meaning one centralized
location for all communities served by the same headend." This
changes the existing FCC rule, apparently for Comcast only, that
currently requires cable companies to keep the Public File in
each local community. CWA vigorously opposes this concession.

FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein have
raised concerns about this aspect of the consent decree and
stressed that "it's time the Commission reaffirmed the rights of
viewers to receive basic information to gauge the accountability
of their media."

While CWA believes that Comcast's multiple violations warranted
a much larger fine, we also believe that the FCC decision sends
a message to Comcast that it must operate within the law and in
the public interest.

CWA will continue to work with local communities to make sure
this cable giant respects the communities in which it operates
and the rights of its employees.

For the latest Comcast news, visit www.comcastwatch.com .
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