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 PUBLIC  NOTICE  FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION  445  12th  STREET,  S.  W.  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.  20554  DA  01-  158 
 News  media  information  202/  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202/  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov 
 CABLE  SERVICES  BUREAU  ACTION  January  24,  2001 
 FCC  ANNOUNCES  NEW  SUBSCRIBER  COUNT  FOR  THE  DEFINITION  OF  SMALL  CABLE  OPERATOR 


 The  Commission  has  determined  that  there  are  67.  7  million  cable  subscribers  in  the  United  States 
 using  the  most  reliable  source  publicly  available.  See  Annual  Assessment  of  the  Status  of  Competition  in 
 the  Market  for  the  Delivery  of  Video  Programming,  CS  Docket  No.  00-  132,  Seventh  Annual  Report, 
 FCC  01-  1  (released  January  8,  2001),  Table  C-  1.  For  purposes  of  defining  a  small  cable  operator  under 
 section  76.901(  f),  47  C.  F.  R.  §  76.  901(  f),  a  cable  operator  that  serves  fewer  than  677,000  subscribers, 
 either  directly  or  through  affiliates,  will  meet  the  definition  of  a  small  cable  operator. 


 Section  76.  901(  f)  of  the  Commission’s  rules  defines  a  small  cable  operator  as  an  operator  that, 
 directly  or  through  an  affiliate,  serves  in  the  aggregate  fewer  than  1  percent  of  all  subscribers  in  the 
 United  States  and  is  not  affiliated  with  any  entity  or  entities  whose  gross  annual  revenues  in  the  aggregate 
 exceed  $250,000,000.  For  purposes  of  this  definition,  an  operator  shall  be  deemed  affiliated  with  another 
 entity  if  that  entity  holds  a  20  percent  or  greater  equity  interest  (not  including  truly  passive  investment)  in 
 the  operator  or  exercises  de  jure  or  de  facto  control  over  the  operator.  See  Implementation  of  Cable  Act 
 Reform  Provisions  of  the  Telecommunications  Act  of  1996,  CS  Docket  No.  96-  85,  Report  and  Order, 
 14  FCC  Rcd  5296  (1999),  ¶  65. 


 Note  1  to  section  76.901(  f)  states  that,  using  the  most  reliable  sources  publicly  available,  the 
 Commission  periodically  will  determine  and  give  public  notice  of  the  subscriber  count  that  will  serve  as 
 the  1  percent  threshold  until  a  new  number  is  calculated.  Accordingly,  by  this  Public  Notice,  the 
 Commission  establishes  the  threshold  for  determining  whether  a  cable  operator  meets  the  definition  of 
 small  cable  operator  at  677,000  subscribers.  This  threshold  will  remain  in  effect  until  the  Commission 
 issues  a  superceding  Public  Notice. 


 Media  Contact:  Michelle  Russo,  202-  418-  2358,  TTY  202-  418-  7172 
 Cable  Services  Bureau  Contact:  Marcia  Glauberman  or  Nancy  Stevenson,  202-  418-  7200, 
 TTY  202-  418-  7172 


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