CEA Urges FCC To Rebuke Cable's Delay In Establishing A Competitive Market For Set-To

[Gregg Lengling]

Cable Delay Tactics Continue As Innovation and Consumer Choice Suffer

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Arlington, Virginia 2/28/2005

The following statement was issued today by Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny repeated efforts by the cable industry to delay a competitive market for cable set-top boxes:
"The consumer electronics (CE) industry remains strong and united that the FCC should heed the mandate from Congress to give consumers choice in cable boxes. The cable industry's "Hail Mary" pass picking off Microsoft is unfortunate, but symptomatic of an industry that wants to thwart consumer choice.

"Once again, cable has come forth with a creative and media-savvy way to delay meeting their responsibility to the FCC, the CE industry and consumers. The cable industry should stop playing "four corners" with this proceeding and instead apply this same level of creativity to work with the CE industry to develop a two-way agreement and meet their commitments.

"We urge the Commission to review the record, stay the course and not be duped by cable's attempts to stall use of CableCARDs and the creation of a pro-consumer competitive market."