WPC:% 2?BJ%<Courier3|a]#&a\  P6G;r&P#Times New RomanTimes New Roman Bold P6G;PpX@Times New RomanTimes New Roman BoldTimes New Roman Italicu&P#2,qK ZCourierTimes New Roman"i~'^09CSS999S]+9+/SSSSSSSSSS//]]]Ixnnxg]xx9?xgxx]xn]gxxxxg9/9MS9ISISI9SS//S/SSSS9?/SSxSSIP!PZ9+ZM999+99999999S/xIxIxIxIxIlnIgIgIgIgI9/9/9/9/xSxSxSxSxSxSxSxSxSxSxIxSxRxSxSxS]SxIxIxInInInZnIxigIgIgIgIxSxSxSxZxSxZxS9/9S999Su]ZZxSg/gCg9g9g/xSbxSxSxSxSxn9n9n9]?]?]?]ZgFg/gMxSxSxSxSxSxSxxZgIgIgIxSg9xS]?g9xSi+SS88WuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNI\\>>>\g0>03\\\\\\\\\\33gggQyyrg>Frgygrr>3>T\>Q\Q\Q>\\33\3\\\\>F3\\\\QX%Xc>0cT>>>0>>>>>>>>\3QQQQQwyQrQrQrQrQ>3>3>3>3\\\\\\\\\\Q\Z\\\g\QQQyQyQycyQtrQrQrQrQ\\\c\c\>3>\>>>\gcc\r3rIr>r>r3\l\\\\y>y>y>gFgFgFgcrMr3rT\\\\\\crQrQrQ\r>\gFr>\t0\\=!=WxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNBnnBT\>Q\\\\\3;\7;\7>>QQ\??n\\pBnnBmgg>Q\7"yyyy\njc\gnn\y.X80,QwX\  P6G;P2a=5,r&a\  P6G;&P2e=5,d[&e4  pG;&P:% ,J:\  P6G;JPSg9xS]?g9xSi+SS88WuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxN3>\>>>\gcc\r3rIr>r>r3\l\\\\y>y>y>gFgFgFgcrMr3rT\\\\\\crQrQrQ\r>\gFr>\t0\\=!=WxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNBnnBT\>Q\\\\\3;\7;\7>>QQ\??n\\nBnnBmgg>Q\7"yyyy\njc\gnn\ S- I. A. 1. a.(1)(a) i) a) 1. 1. 1. a.(1)(a) i) a)#&a\  P6G;u&P#"i~'^5>g\\>>>\g0>03\\\\\\\\\\>>ggg\yyrF\yrgyy>3>j\>\gQgQ>\g3>g3g\ggQF>g\\\QI(I_>0_j>>>0>>>>>>\>g3\\\\\QyQyQyQyQD3D3D3D3g\\\\gggg\\g\\\\pg\\\QQ_QyQyQyQyQ\\\_\gjF3FgF>Fgg__gy3ySy>yIy3ggg\\QQQgFgFgFg_y^y>yjgggggg_yQyQyQgy>ggFy>\0\\=2=WxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNBnnBa\>\\\\\\7>\7>\7>>\\\??n\\pBnnBsgg>\\7"yyyy\nlc\gnn\"i~'^ %,77\V%%%7>%7777777777>>>0eOIIOD>OO%*ODaOO>OI>DOOgOOD%%37%07070%777V7777%*77O77055;%;3%%%%%%%%%%%7O0O0O0O0O0aHI0D0D0D0D0%%%%O7O7O7O7O7O7O7O7O7O7O0O7O6O7O7O7>7O0O0O0I0I0I;I0OED0D0D0D0O7O7O7O;O7O;O7%%7%%%7M>;;O7DD,D%D%DO7AO7O7O7O7aOI%I%I%>*>*>*>;D.DD3O7O7O7O7O7O7gOO;D0D0D0O7D%O7>*D%O7E77%%WMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxN(BB(37%07777j7#TT7!#TT7T!%%007n&&Bn77lCTn(nBB(A\\>>n%07\n!"IIIITTenn7TnB@;7>lBBn72<xKKKJTimes New RomanTimes New Roman BoldTimes New Roman Italic"i~'^"(22TN"""28"2222222222888,\HBBH>8HH"&H>XHH8HB8>HH^HH>"".2",2,2,"222N2222"&22H22,006"6."""""""""""2H,H,H,H,H,XAB,>,>,>,>,""""H2H2H2H2H2H2H2H2H2H2H,H2H1H2H2H282H,H,H,B,B,B6B,H?>,>,>,>,H2H2H2H6H2H6H2""2"""2F866H2>>(>">">H2;H2H2H2H2XHB"B"B"8&8&8&86>*>>.H2H2H2H2H2H2^HH6>,>,>,H2>"H28&>"H2?22!!WFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxN$<<$.2",2222`2 LL2 LL2L"",,2d""M\\>>>\}0>03\\\\\\\\\\>>}}}\rryrr>Qygyrr\grrggF3FM\>\\Q\Q3\\33Q3\\\\FF3\QyQQFI3Ic>0cM>>>0>>>>>>\>\3r\r\r\r\r\yyQrQrQrQrQ>3>3>3>3y\\\\\\\\\gQr\\\\gQ\r\r\r\r\yQyQycyQnrQrQrQrQ\\\c\c\>3>\>>>\\ccyQg3gBg>g;g3y\jy\y\\\yrFrFrF\F\F\FccgBg3gM\\\\\\ygcgFgFgF\g>y\\Fg>g\n0\\=(=WddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddNBnnB_\F\\\\\\3;\7;\7>>gg\??n\\pBnnBb\\>g\7"yyyy\njc\}nn\2%KKK]Z "i~'^09FSS999Sq+9+/SSSSSSSSSS99qqqSggnxggxx9In]nxgxgS]xgg]]?/?FS9SSISI/SS//I/xSSSS??/SInII?C/CZ9+ZF999+999999S9S/gSgSgSgSgSnnIgIgIgIgI9/9/9/9/nSxSxSxSxSxSxSxSxS]IgSxSxSxS]IxSgSgSgSgSnInInZnIxdgIgIgIgIxSxSxSxZxSxZxS9/9S999SSZZnI]/]<]9]5]/nSanSnSxSxSng?g?g?S?S?S?ZZ]<]/]FxSxSxSxSxSxSn]Z]?]?]?xS]9nSS?]9]Sd+SS8%8WuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddN/>/>/>/x]SSSSx]x]x]x]xSxSx]SSxSxSf]xSxSxSxIxIxWxIx{nInInInISSSWS]a?/?]?9?]]WW]n/nKn9nCn/x]xx]x]SSxxIxIxI]?]?]?]WnUn9nax]x]x]x]x]x]xxWnInInIx]n9x]]?n9xSz+SS8-8WuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxN\4  pG;\Q9% ,%:@J9*f9 xr G;JXFFFPFPj93$F؋iXP6F6B|FPFPjcRP,cMEU^&o& quBPh\^&sjj ^&q&o&28% S- X   Č S- Y Federal Communications Commission`(#DA 99238 ă  yxdddy P #&a\  P6G;r&P#Before the YFederal Communications Commission  S-"Washington, D.C. 20554 ă In the Matter of) )  S-WESTMARC CABLE HOLDING, INC.)File No. CSBA0542  S-d/b/a TCI OF NORTHERN IOWA)CUID IA0137 ) Appeal of Local Rate Order Issued By) the City of Vinton, Iowa)   :&A   S - :&A R  MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER m  S -X` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:The decision stated that it is the opinion of the Council that "rates in Vinton should be reduced to be  c)Lcomparable to TCI rates in cities that have competitive rates, such as Harlan where you offer 35 channel  c)service for just $16.96/month and Hawarden where your listed rate for 29 channel service is  S-$18.95/month."A yO-ԍ Appeal at Attachment 1.A  S- (#a4.` ` In its Appeal, TCINI argues that the City violated Commission regulations by not  c)adequately explaining its denial of the rate increase, thus denying the cable operator substantive due  c)process. Additionally, in footnote 2 of its Appeal, TCINI asserts that the City's decision appears to  c)address only the Company's basic service rate, but indicates that to the extent that the decision also rejects the Company's proposed equipment and installation rates, TCINI appeals that rejection as well.  S - (#5.` ` The City of Vinton failed to issue a written decision affirmatively demonstrating why TCI S - c)NI's proposed annual rate adjustment rate increase for the basic service rate is unreasonable. X {O/- c)Jԍ See 47 C.F.R.  76.936; Rate Order, 8 FCC Rcd at 57155716  126, 573132  149 (1993) (need for rational basis for decision).  The purpose  c)of requiring a written order is to protect the due process rights of the cable operator by explaining why  c)the rate was disapproved and providing a basis to refile the rate or appeal the decision to the Commission.  S- c)As stated in Valley Cable TV, Inc., the Commission has previously rejected local rate orders that  S- c) summarily or vaguely rejected an operator's proposed rates.BB {O- c)ԍ 13 FCC Rcd 6378, 6379  4 (Cab. Serv. Bur. 1998); See Multimedia Cablevision, 13 FCC Rcd 4112, 4115  c)- 6 (Cab. Serv. Bur. 1997) (LFA's vague explanation expressing only a general concern with channel mix, signal  c)quality, and level of programming was insufficient); Cablevision VII, Inc., 12 FCC Rcd 2989, 29912992  46  c)Z(Cab. Serv. Bur. 1997) (one page order stating only that the LFA had "duly considered all information" provided  c)by the operator was insufficient); Century Cable of Southern California, 11 FCC Rcd 501, 501502  36 (Cab.  c);Serv. Bur. 1995) (one page letter specifying LFA's general concern about poor quality programming and service was  c)<insufficient); Falcon Telecable, 11 FCC Rcd 5415, 54155416  56 (Cab. Serv. Bur. 1995) (one page order by LFA stating that rates were found unreasonable in accordance with the Commission's guidelines was insufficient). B The City's denial of the proposed rate  c)=increase on the basis that there should be rate comparability with other communities is not adequate, for  c)the City's order fails to explain why the operator's rates are unreasonable pursuant to the Commission's  Sj- c)rules governing rates.Jj  {O -ԍ See 47 C.F.R.  76.922.J In Paragon Communications,` jN  yOX"-ԍ 13 FCC Rcd 19557, 19559  6 (Cab. Serv. Bur. 1998).` we stated that the Commission's Rules allow  c)periodic rate adjustments for inflation, changes in external costs, and changes in the number of regulated  c)\channels using either the quarterly or annual adjustment method; the City's authority is to review the  c)reasonableness of the cable operator's rates on the basis of regulations adopted by the Commission; and  S- c)the rules do not provide any other basis for rate decisions.  {OJ'-ԍ See Enstar Communication, 11 FCC Rcd 9874, 9877  8 (Cab. Serv. Bur. 1996)). Finally, the City's decision does not mention"p ,`(`(88"  c)equipment and installation rates and gives no notice that those rates are addressed by the decision. We  S-construe the rate decision as addressing only TCINI's Basic Service Tier rates.   S-  S- #&a\  P6G;r&P#III.ORDERING CLAUSES  S8- (#6.` ` Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that TCINI's Appeal IS GRANTED and this case IS  S- c)REMANDED to the City for resolution in accordance with the terms of this Memorandum Opinion and Order.  S-  (#7.` ` IT IS FURTHER ORDERE D that a Request for Emergency Stay of Rate Order in this  Sp-same matter, filed with the Commission by TCI NI on June 19, 1998, IS DISMISSED as moot.  S - (#8.` ` This action is taken by the Deputy Chief, Cable Services Bureau, pursuant to authority delegated by Section 0.321 of the Commission' Rules. 47 C.F.R.  0.321. ` `  Ghh}FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ` `  Ghh}William H. Johnson ` `  Ghh}Deputy Chief, Cable Services Bureau