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September 8, 2008 7:09:56 AM CDT

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House GOP Group Slams FCC on Cable

Posted Nov 20, 07 1:18 AM CST in Politics,  Technology,  Business 

(Newser) – Republican lawmakers have attacked FCC chairman Kevin Martin's plans to step up regulation of the cable industry, the Wall Street Journal reports. All but two of the 26 Republicans on the House Commerce Committee have signed a letter calling the plans "misguided and harmful." The FCC boss has been trying to rein in cable companies in the last two years.

Martin is already taking flak from several directions for his plans to increase cable regulation under the "70/70 rule", which says the FCC can impose more regulations when 70% of American homes have cable access. Martin has said in the past that he is acting in the interests of consumers - but some consumer groups are among his fiercest critics.

Sources Wall Street Journal, InformationWeek

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Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin J. Martin, left, accompanied by commissioners Michael J. Copps, center, and Jonathan S. Adelstein, right, reviews documents as he testifies on Capitol...   (Associated Press)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin J. Martin, left, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, in this Feb. 1, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)   (Associated Press)
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