Leased access
Encyclopedia
Leased access is airtime that the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) mandates must be provided by cable operators (such as Comcast
and Time Warner Cable
) for use by independent cable programmers and producers who are not owned by the operators. Leased access airtime may be purchased on specialty channel
s by individuals or groups with E&O insurance
for the purposes of airing television program
ming content, usually local programming
.
The prices for Leased access are subject to a maximum set by an FCC formula and therefore in theory cannot be manipulated by cable companies. Cable companies, however, can "manipulate" prices through lobbying the FCC. Indeed, in 1997, the FCC set maximum prices based on an "average implicit fee" formula which set the prices considered by cable programmers to be very high. Lower prices would likely encourage increased usage of leased access by independent programmers.
Leased access is different from Public, educational, and government access
(PEG) cable TV channels, in which producers pay a fee to have a program on a leased access channel, while time on a Public-access television
channel is free or a minimum cost.
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) mandates must be provided by cable operators (such as Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
) for use by independent cable programmers and producers who are not owned by the operators. Leased access airtime may be purchased on specialty channel
Specialty channel
A specialty channel can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targeted television market at a specific demographic....
s by individuals or groups with E&O insurance
E&OE
E&OE is an initialism standing for errors and omissions excepted. The phrase is used in an attempt to reduce legal liability for incorrect or incomplete information supplied in a contractually related document such as a price list, quotation or specification. It is often applied as a disclaimer in...
for the purposes of airing television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
ming content, usually local programming
Local programming
The term Local Programme, Local Programming, Local Content or Local Television refers to a television programme made by a television station or independent television producer for broadcast only within the station's transmission area or television market...
.
The prices for Leased access are subject to a maximum set by an FCC formula and therefore in theory cannot be manipulated by cable companies. Cable companies, however, can "manipulate" prices through lobbying the FCC. Indeed, in 1997, the FCC set maximum prices based on an "average implicit fee" formula which set the prices considered by cable programmers to be very high. Lower prices would likely encourage increased usage of leased access by independent programmers.
Leased access is different from Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access television, refers to three different cable television specialty channels...
(PEG) cable TV channels, in which producers pay a fee to have a program on a leased access channel, while time on a Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
channel is free or a minimum cost.