WASHINGTON — In a blow to the potential advertising revenues of TV broadcasters, federal regulators Thursday shot down the industry's request to require cable systems to carry its programming on multiple channels.
Currently, cable operators provide a single channel for each broadcast station in its area. For instance, Adelphia Communications Corp.'s cable system in Southern California features the programming of more than 20 local stations -- not only majors such as CBS but also an assortment of ethnic, religious and other broadcasters.
The stations were pushing to expand their reach to at least six different channels apiece on a cable system, as television moves to digital technology and space is freed for new programming.
But in a 4-1 vote, the Federal Communications Commission rejected the industry's plea for broader access, concluding that Congress never mandated it.
The FCC also brushed aside the broadcasters' argument that they needed the advertising revenues from multiple channels to ensure their economic survival in the digital age.
The evidence "cannot justify a conclusion that multicasting is necessary to the continued preservation of the benefits of broadcast television," said FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy, a Republican.
The cable industry hailed the FCC's decision on the so-called must-carry rules.
"The marketplace, not the government, will determine which programs local cable systems carry, ensuring greater consumer choice and ... better-quality programming," said Robert Sachs, president of the National Cable & Telecommunications Assn.
Large cable-TV providers such as Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Inc., as well as smaller operators, had warned that new services such as telephone, high-definition television and video-on-demand could be derailed if they were required to devote space on their networks to broadcasters' channels. FCC engineers, however, say that with current technology, six digital channels can be packed into less space than one analog channel.
Independent cable programmers also celebrated the decision, which they said would allow them to better compete for shelf space on cable systems with major broadcast networks.
"Why should someone go to the front of the line just because they have a broadcast license?" said one cable executive.
For its part, the National Assn. of Broadcasters vowed to keep the fight alive in the courts and Congress.
