United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2004-03-25 monographic deposited born digital 25 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-262T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-262T P0b002ee18039cded f:d04262t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-262T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-262T GAO-04-262T Cable television Commercial television broadcasting Communication satellites Competition Cost analysis Data collection Data integrity Rates Reporting requirements Telecommunication industry Price increases Testimony A09591 In recent years, rates for cable service have increased at a faster pace than the general rate of inflation. GAO agreed to (1) examine the impact of competition on cable rates and service, (2) assess the reliability of information contained in the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) annual cable rate report, (3) examine the causes of recent cable rate increases, (4) assess the impact of ownership affiliations in the cable industry, (5) discuss why cable operators group networks into tiers, and (6) discuss options to address factors that could be contributing to cable rate increases. GAO issued its findings and recommendations in a report entitled Telecommunications: Issues Related to Competition and Subscriber Rates in the Cable Television Industry (GAO-04-8). In that report, GAO recommended that the Chairman of FCC take steps to improve the reliability, consistency, and relevance of information on cable rates and competition in the subscription video industry. In commenting on GAO's report, FCC agreed to make changes to its annual cable rate survey, but FCC questioned, on a cost/benefit basis, the utility of revising its process to keep the classification of effective competition up to date. GAO believes that FCC should examine whether cost-effective alternative processes could help provide more accurate information. This testimony is based on that report. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-262T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-262T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-262T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-262T.pdf GAO-04-262T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-262T Testimony GAO-04-262T; Telecommunications: Subscriber Rates and Competition in the Cable Television Industry; Cable television Commercial television broadcasting Communication satellites Competition Cost analysis Data collection Data integrity Rates Reporting requirements Telecommunication industry Price increases