Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992

The Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992

The Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 (the “Act”) was created to foster competition and protect consumers in the cable television industry. The Act was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in October of 1992. The Act has two main objectives:

To protect consumers by limiting rate increases and decreasing the cost of cable service.
To foster competition by encouraging the development of new technologies and services.

In order to accomplish these goals, the Act set a number of provisions in place. These include:

Regulating the rates that cable operators can charge for basic cable and cable equipment.
Requiring cable operators to reduce their rates if they receive new programming or equipment.
Creating the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Commission to oversee the cable industry.
Requiring cable operators to provide consumers with detailed rate and channel information.
Limiting the number of cable channels that a cable operator can require a consumer to purchase.
Allowing cable operators to offer discounts for purchasing multiple services.
Ensuring that cable operators offer reasonable access to non-affiliated programming.

The Act also created the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) to represent the interests of the cable industry. The NCTA is responsible for advocating for the cable industry in policy debates, negotiating with other industries, and providing information to members. The Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 has had a lasting impact on the cable industry, both in terms of competition and consumer protection. It has helped to create an environment where cable operators are able to offer competitive prices and services, while ensuring that consumers have access to the information they need to make informed decisions.Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Commission National Cable Television Association