Cable ban constitutionality

The United States Telephone Association, Washington, DC, has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the court to decide promptly the constitutionality of the ban on telephone company/cable-TV company cross-ownership. The association filed the brief jointly with two other industry associations and eight individual telephone companies. Ten federal district courts have found that banning telephone companies from providing video programming violates the First Amendment. Following its 10 back-to-back losses, the Federal Communications Commission has issued an order in which it commits to more readily granting waivers of the cross-ownership ban.