PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
1919 M STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554                                           DA 97-0003

News media information 202/418-0500     Fax-On-Demand  202/418-2830     Internet:  http://www.fcc.gov    ftp.fcc.gov


                           CABLE SERVICES ACTION            January 2, 1997

                      CABLE SERVICES BUREAU ANNOUNCES
                      POLICY ADDRESSING AVAILABILITY
                        OF INFORMAL LETTER RULINGS

     The Bureau receives informal requests from the industry, government and consumers
regarding waivers of rules or guidance in the interpretation of existing cable regulations. 
Typically, responses to these requests have been in the form of advisory letters that have not
been made available to the general public because they did not have widespread applicability and
did not affect the rights of cable operators or local franchising authorities.  The Bureau believes
that members of the public may benefit from the information provided in response to these
requests.  The Bureau will implement the following procedures to ensure that responses to
informal requests are generally available:  (1) the response will be placed on the Internet; (2)
copies of the request and the response will be available in the Bureau's public reference room;
and (3) public notices will be issued to announce the receipt and availability of such letters. 
Each response will be assigned an informal letter ruling ("CSB-ILR") number (in addition to a
DA number) and the file containing the responses will be indexed chronologically.  For example,
the first response would be "CSB-ILR 97-1." These procedures will be effective for requests
received on and after February 1, 1997.
      
     The purpose of this public notice is to provide general information regarding the Bureau's
approach to ensuring that responses to informal waiver and rule interpretation requests are
available.  It does not foreclose other procedures that the Bureau may consider more appropriate
in a particular circumstance.


Media Contact: Morgan Broman at (202) 418-2358.
Cable Services Bureau Contact: Margo Domon at (202) 418-2949.


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