Federal Communications Commission DA 15-1152
Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of
Implementation of Section 3 of the Cable 
Television Consumer Protection and Competition 
Act of 1992 
Statistical Report on Average Rates for Basic 
Service, Cable Programming Service, and 
Equipment
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MM Docket No.  92-266
ORDER
Adopted:  October 8, 2015     Released: October 8, 2015
Responses Due: December 7, 2015
By the Chief, Media Bureau:
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Section 623(k) of the Communications Act, as amended by the Cable Television 
Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 (“1992 Cable Act”),
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requires the Commission to 
publish annually a statistical report on average rates for basic cable service, cable programming service, 
and equipment.
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  The Act also requires the Commission to compare the average rates of cable operators 
found to be subject to effective competition with those of operators not subject to effective competition.
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To implement the requirements of Section 623(k), the Commission is directing certain cable operators to 
respond to a price survey questionnaire designed to solicit information concerning rates for basic service, 
cable programming service, and equipment used to receive such services.  The Notice to individuals 
                                                     
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Section 623(k) was adopted as Section 3(k) of the 1992 Cable Act, Pub. L. No. 102-385, 106 Stat. 1460, codified 
at 47 U.S.C. § 543(k).
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47 U.S.C. § 543(k).  The 1992 Cable Act defines basic cable service as that tier of service that includes the 
retransmission of local television broadcast signals.  See 47 U.S.C. § 543(b)(7).  Cable programming service is 
defined as any video programming other than (A) video programming carried on the basic service tier, and (B) video 
programming offered on a per channel or per program basis.  See 47 U.S.C. § 543(k)(1)(2).  Equipment refers to a 
converter box, remote control, and other equipment necessary to access programming.  See 47 U.S.C. § 543(b)(3).
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Effective competition exists where the Commission has found that a multi-channel video programming distributor 
(“MVPD”) meets one of four tests within its franchise area: (1) fewer than 30% of households subscribe to the 
service of the cable system (the “low penetration test”);  (2) at least two MVPDs serve 50% or more of households 
and at least 15% of those households take service other than from the largest MVPD (the “overbuild test”); (3) a 
municipal MVPD offers service to at least 50% of households (the “municipal test”); (4) a local exchange carrier 
(“LEC”) or its affiliate (or any MVPD using the facilities of the LEC or its affiliate) offers video programming 
service (other than direct broadcast satellite service) comparable to the service of an unaffiliated MVPD (the “LEC 
test”).  See 47 U.S.C. § 543(k)(1)(1)(A-D).
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required by the Privacy Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act are attached to this Order as Appendix A 
and instructions for completing the questionnaire are attached as Appendix B.  The cable operators 
selected for our sample must complete and file the questionnaire no later than December 7, 2015.
2. With respect to the 1992 Cable Act requirements, the survey asks questions about an 
operator’s monthly charge for basic service and expanded basic service as of two dates:  January 1, 2014, 
and January 1, 2015.  In addition, the survey requests information on other factors such as the monthly 
charge for equipment, the number of subscribers, the number of channels offered on each level of service, 
and the availability of advanced services such as Internet access and channel lineups.
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3. Section 202 of the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (STELAR),
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for the first time 
requires the survey also to report information about the aggregate average total amount paid by cable 
systems in compensation to television broadcast stations under Section 325 of the Communications Act.
Such data are sought in the current version of the questionnaire for the calendar years ending 2013 and
2014.
4. Our survey sample includes a random sample of cable operators serving communities
where the Commission has granted a petition for effective competition, and a random sample of operators 
serving other communities nationwide.  A completed questionnaire is required for each community 
selected in our sample.  If more than one community is selected from any cable system, the cable operator 
must complete a separate questionnaire for each community unit identification (“CUID”) number 
selected. 
5. Data submitted in response to this survey will be made available to the public in 
aggregate form as averages representing segments of the industry.  Survey data also may be subject to 
requests for public release filed pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”).  Nothing in this 
Order shall be construed as a resolution on the merits of a FOIA request.  If individual respondents wish 
to request confidential treatment of any data provided in connection with this survey, in accordance with 
Sections 0.457 and 0.459 of the Commission’s rules,
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they should request such confidentiality in writing 
and identify clearly the specific information they wish to protect.  They also should provide, as required 
by the rules, a complete explanation of why such treatment is appropriate.  If a respondent submits a 
request for confidentiality, the Bureau will review it and make a determination.  The Bureau may dispose 
of multiple requests for confidentiality in a single decision.  Requests for confidentiality should be sent to 
the cable price survey team in an e-mail addressed to cablesurvey@fcc.gov.  If a respondent does not 
submit a request for confidentiality, the Commission may release the respondent’s data, including 
identifying information.
                                                     
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We are mindful of the need to limit administrative burdens associated with this price survey.  We anticipate that 
the burdens faced by responding cable operators should be limited, as the information requested is of the type that 
should be readily available to operators.  Suggestions for reducing the burden may be sent to the Commission.  For 
further information, see the notice contained in Appendix A of this Order regarding the Privacy Act and Paperwork 
Reduction Act.
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Pub. L. No. 113-200, 128 Stat. 2059 (2014) enacted on December 4, 2014 (H.R. 5728, 113th Cong.).
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47 C.F.R. §§ 0.457, 0.459.  
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6. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED pursuant to Section 623(k) of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 543(k), and Section 4(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
47 U.S.C. § 154(i), that cable operators subject to the price survey requirement described herein shall 
complete and file the price survey questionnaire no later than December 7, 2015.   
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
William T. Lake
Chief, Media Bureau
Federal Communications Commission DA 15-1152
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APPENDIX A
2015 Cable Industry Price Survey
FCC NOTICE TO INDIVIDUALS REQUIRED BY THE PRIVACY ACT AND 
THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT
The solicitation of information in this survey form is authorized by Section 623(k) of the 
Communications Act, as amended.  The Commission will use the information collected on this form to 
compare prices charged for basic cable service, cable programming service, and equipment by cable 
operators that are found to be subject to effective competition with those not subject to effective 
competition.  The survey also to report information about the aggregate average total amount paid by 
cable systems in compensation to television broadcast stations under Section 325 of the Communications 
Act. This form has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget, under OMB control number 
3060-0647 (expiration date: September 30, 2018). 
The public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated to average 6.0 hours per 
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
entering the data needed, and completing and reviewing the questionnaire.  Suggestions for reducing the 
burden may be sent to the Commission in an e-mail addressed to cablesurvey@fcc.gov with “Suggestions 
for Reducing Burden” in the “subject” line.  Alternatively, send comments regarding this burden estimate 
or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the 
Records Management Division, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C. 20554. 
The above notice is required by the Privacy Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-579, 88 Stat. 1897, 
codified at 5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(3), and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-13, 109 
Stat. 163, codified at 44 U.S.C. § 3507.
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APPENDIX B
Cable Industry Price Survey
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACCESSING, COMPLETING, AND SUBMITTING THEWEB-BASED
SURVEY
FCC Form 333
Features of the Web-Based Survey: Some of the features of the web-based survey that you should be 
aware of before entering data are summarized below.  More complete instructions pertaining to each of 
these features are provided under the relevant headings in the following sections.
? After You Login: The Main Menu allows you to create a new cable price survey, edit an existing 
saved survey, submit a completed survey, or revise a survey that you have already submitted.  
? Copying Data from one Survey to Another: The application allows you to copy data from one 
survey to another.  If you use this feature, please review the copied data carefully to ensure that 
any entries that should be different from the survey you copied are corrected.
? Entering Data: Many fields have internal checks, or “error messages”, associated with them.  If 
you receive an error message, please check to ensure that the data you have entered are correct.  
Also, please note that the web-based application can only accept numeric values in fields where 
numeric answers are expected.  Text and special characters such as dollar signs, percent signs, 
commas, and letters (such as N/A) may not be used when answering questions where numeric 
values are required.
? Print View Function: The application provides a “print view” version of your survey.  This 
feature allows you to review your entire survey at one time.  (The normal view goes through the 
survey one section at a time.)  The web application does not prevent the submission of incomplete 
surveys so we strongly recommend that that you review all of the entries you plan to submit 
before you submit a completed survey by using this print view mode.  This mode also allows you 
to print a hard copy, or save a copy of your submission in your computer, for your records.
? Returning a Completed Survey to the Commission: The web-based application requires that 
you complete and file your survey directly on the Commission’s Internet site.  Once you have 
entered, and reviewed, all data for a particular submission, you must officially “submit” that 
completed survey to the Commission to complete that filing.
? Reopening a Completed Survey to Make Changes: Even after you have submitted a survey as 
complete, you can reopen that survey to make changes until the cutoff date for filing completed 
surveys.  If it becomes necessary to reopen a survey after that date, please contact the cable price 
survey team at cablesurvey@fcc.gov or 202-418-2330.
Login Instructions: In order to access the Cable Price Survey (FCC Form 333), you will need Internet 
access and an FCC Registration Number (FRN) with an associated password.  If you already have an 
FRN and password, you can access FCC Form 333 through the Commission’s Internet site
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/2015-cable-industry-price-survey-download-site.  If you do not have an FRN,
you will need to visit the FCC's Registration page.  You can access the FRN Registration page through 
the Commission’s Internet site identified above or at https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/coresWeb/publicHome.do.  
The instructions for obtaining an FRN are fairly self-explanatory.  Be sure to select a password when 
registering, and we recommend that you print the page you get after registering so that you can retain a 
copy of both your FRN and the associated password you have selected.  That page also contains your 
personal security question and answer, which you may need if you forget your password.  
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If you have an FRN but have forgotten your password, and you have previously provided us with a 
personal security question and answer, then you may use the online password reset feature to create a new 
password for your FRN.  If you have forgotten your password and have not previously provided a 
personal security question and answer, you can request a password reset through the Registration Update
page.  If you need immediate assistance regarding an FRN or password, please call FCC Technical 
Support at 1-877-480-3201 (please select Option #1 from the menu), and assistance with password resets
will be provided.
After You Login: The Main Menu will allow you to create a new “Cable Price Survey Submission.”  At 
the top of the screen will be a header with your FRN and company name.  To create a new Cable Price 
Survey Submission, select your state from the drop-down list, then select the CUID for which you are 
completing a survey.  It is critical that you select the correct CUID so please do so carefully.    
The next step is to click the “Create New” button in the “Create New Cable Price Survey Submission” 
section.  Once you have clicked “Create New,” the first data screen of the survey will be displayed (it is 
entitled, “Section A. Community”).  The answers for questions number 2, “Name of the community 
associated with this CUID,” and number 3, “Name of the county in which the community is situated,” 
will be filled in automatically by the application.  Please check to be sure that they are entered correctly.  
If they are incorrect, ensure that you have selected the proper CUID.  If the CUID is correct, you may edit 
the pre-filled information as necessary.  
To complete the survey, click on each section name, one at a time, and enter the appropriate information
for each question.  After entering data for each section, click on the section heading again at the Main 
Menu to ensure that all values you have entered have been saved.  Note that when you have completed a 
survey, all sections will display the status: “Data Entered.”    
If You Are Completing Surveys for More Than One CUID: At the Main Menu, create a new 
submission for your next CUID.  Note that if you select the same state as your first CUID, the CUID for 
which you have already created a response no longer appears in the drop-down list.  Click “Create New” 
to create a new CUID response.  Section A will be displayed as it was with your first CUID.  Once you 
have checked your information for Section A, click “Save and Return to Submission Menu.”  Proceed to 
complete that survey by going through the sections one at a time as with your first submission. 
Entering Data: Many fields have internal checks associated with them.  If you receive an error message, 
please check to ensure that the correct data are entered in the fields that are identified by the checks.  In 
some instances the check only refers to the current entry, in others it cross-references data from the 
current field with data found in another field.  If you receive an error message for an entry in a field that 
has a cross-check with another field, it may be that the entry in the other field is in error, rather than the 
field associated with the current question.  These error messages are included in the application to help 
you identify typos and possible errors.  They will not prevent you from making an entry that you want to 
make.  
When entering data into the web-based form, please note that the web application can only store numeric 
values in fields where numeric answers are expected.  Text and special characters such as dollar signs, 
percent signs, commas, and letters (such as N/A) may not be used when answering questions where 
numeric values are required.  If the data that we are asking for are not applicable or not available (for 
example the CUID was recently purchased and historical data are not available), then leave the field 
blank.  In some instances this may create an “error” message at the top of your submission in red.  
If you wish to provide us with an explanation for, or elaborate on, any of your answers, or would like to 
comment on any of the questions, you may do so by sending an e-mail to cablesurvey@fcc.gov with 
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“Comment on CUID or Question Number (enter the relevant CUID or question number)” in the “Subject” 
line of your e-mail.
How to Copy Data from One Form to Another: The application provides a feature that allows you to 
copy data from a previously completed survey.  If you choose to use this feature, be certain to change all 
fields that require different answers from those in the previously completed CUID.  Click the “Cable 
Price Survey Home” link. This link appears in two places on the Submission Menu, at the top left in the 
header and at the bottom of the page.  This will return you to the Main Menu.  
At the Main Menu, create a new submission for another CUID.  Click “Create New” to create a new 
CUID submission.  Section A will be displayed.  Once you have checked your entries for Section A, click 
“Save and Return to Submission Menu.”  Click the link “Copy Data from Another Survey to this Survey” 
at the bottom of the Submission Menu. In the “Select a Source CUID for Copy Process” section of the 
copy page, there is a drop-down list titled “Source CUID.” This will contain all the CUIDs for your FRN 
that have a record in the system (other than the current CUID; it cannot be copied onto itself).  If you have 
completed only one CUID at this point, the list will contain only one item.  
Next, click the link “Copy Selected CUID Data to this Survey.”  The application will report “Data Has 
Been Copied from (source CUID).”  Click the link “Return to Cable Price Survey Submission Menu for 
CUID (current CUID)” to return to the Submission Menu.  Note that now all sections are displayed with 
the status “Data Entered.”  Make certain that you change all fields that are different for the selected CUID 
from the copied CUID.  To confirm that the copy and editing was successful, use the “Print View” link 
described in the following paragraph.  Note that the values that are automatically entered from the 
COALS database are not copied in this function, but are re-entered from COALS to reflect the most 
current data.
Print View Function: Click the link “View the Entire Survey on One Page (Print View)” at the bottom of 
the Submission Menu.  A new page (or tab, depending on your browser) should open with the entire 
survey in a single “print view” page with no header.  You may then send the document to the printer or 
save it to your desktop as a file.  The web application does not prevent the submission of incomplete 
surveys so we strongly recommend that you review all of the data as displayed in the print view mode.  
This will help to ensure that there are no unintended blank fields or blank sections.  
How to Complete a Survey in Multiple Sessions: You may enter data into the survey over multiple 
work sessions. The Main Menu screen will generally show the submission’s status as “Original – In 
Progress” during those sessions.  To save data entered in order to complete the survey at a later session, 
select the “Save and Return to Edit Menu” link prior to logging out of a work session.  If you close the 
browser or leave the application without saving, the data entered for the section that you are currently in 
will not be saved.
How To Log Out of a Session: To log out of a session before you have completed a survey, after saving 
your work as indicated above, select the “Log Out” link at the bottom of the screen.
To Return to a Work-in-Progress: To return to an in-progress submission, from the Main Menu, use the 
“View/Edit” link in the “View/Edit By Part” column to open the Submission Menu.
How to Return the Survey to the Commission: Responses must be completed and filed directly on the 
Commission’s Internet site.  Once all data for a particular submission have been entered and reviewed, 
you must officially “submit” the data to the Commission to complete that filing. To do this, use either (a) 
the Submit link in the Revise/Submit column in the Main Menu or (b) the “Submit this Submission as 
Complete” link that appears at the bottom of the Submission Menu. Either link will take you to the 
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“Change Status of Current Form” submission screen where you must click the option button and then
select “Change Status.”
Once the system accepts a submission, that submission will be locked and you will not be able to edit it
unless you reopen it for revision.  The application allows revisions to be made to completed and/or 
submitted surveys so you may re-enter and revise your submission for a particular CUID at any point in 
the process (up to the filing deadline), even after you have submitted it as a completed survey.  You can 
re-enter your survey by using the “Revise” link in the Main Menu or the “Revise this Submission” link at 
the bottom of the Submission Menu.  
How to Reopen a Completed Survey to Make Edits: The web-based filing system will allow you to 
reopen a submitted survey to make changes until the filing deadline.  If you wish to amend a submitted 
survey after the filing deadline, please contact the cable price survey team at cablesurvey@fcc.gov or 202-
418-2330.  To reopen a completed survey, click the link “Return to Cable Price Survey Submission Menu 
for CUID (enter the CUID to which you wish to return).”  Note that the status will be described as 
“Submitted.”  Click the link for the section or sections that you wish to edit.  Note that the data fields will 
be displayed but cannot be modified.  To unlock these data fields, click the link “Revise this Survey,” 
which you can find at the bottom of the menu.  Click the button “Re-open this Survey for Revision” in the 
“Change Status of Survey Submission” section.  The new status will be noted, and you can make edits.  
You should then re-submit the edited survey as complete using the “Submit this Survey as Complete” 
link.  When the note “This Survey Has Been Submitted as Complete” is displayed, click the link “Cable 
Price Survey Home” to return to the Main Menu.