DA 95-668

                                Before the
                     FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                          Washington, D.C.  20554

     
In the Matter of                   )
                              )
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND          )         File No. W-P-C-6858
  TELEPHONE COMPANY      )
                                        )    
Application to Amend Section 214        )    
Authorization to conduct a video        )
dialtone technical and market trial          )


                                   ORDER

Adopted:  March 30, 1995                                      Released:   March 31, 1995

Comment Date:  April 20, 1995
Reply Date:  May 1, 1995

By the Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division:  


          1.   On March 15, 1995, the Southern New England Telephone Company
(SNET) filed an application to amend its existing Section 214 authorization to conduct a video
dialtone technical and market trial.    We placed the amendment on public notice, with
comments due April 10, 1995 and reply comments by April 20, 1995.  

          2.   On March 28, 1995, Cablevision Systems Corporation and the New
England Cable Television Association (Joint Parties) filed a motion for an extension of time to
file comments.  The Joint Parties request that the deadline for filing comments be extended two
weeks, until April 24, 1995.  

          3.   The Joint Parties state that additional time is necessary to allow them to
fully address the issues raised in this proceeding.  The Joint Parties argue that the Commission
routinely affords parties thirty days to comment on Section 214 applications and petitions for
waiver of the telephone company-cable television cross-ownership ban.  Given this procedure,
the Joint Parties argue that it would be inequitable to reduce the pleading cycle in this instance
where significant public interest concerns are implicated.  In addition, the Joint Parties argue that
additional time will give interested parties sufficient time to review the comments that are filed
in response to the Commission's Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the video
dialtone proceeding and incorporate pertinent information in response to SNET's application. 

          4.   We do not routinely grant extensions of time.    In this case, however,
we believe that the public interest would be served by providing parties with additional time to 
more fully address the issues raised in this proceeding.  We believe, however, that a fourteen-
day extension would result in excessive delay.   Consistent with our rules, we therefore grant
all parties an extension of time for filing comments, and extend the filing dates for comments
until April 20, 1995, and for reply comments until May 1, 1995.  

          5.   According, IT IS ORDERED that the Joint Parties' Request for Extension
of Time IS GRANTED to the extent provided herein, and otherwise IS DENIED.    

                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



                              James D. Schlichting
                              Chief, Policy and Program
                              Planning Division
                              Common Carrier Bureau