The Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984: A Balancing Act on the Coaxial Wires

81 Pages Posted: 18 May 2010

See all articles by Michael I. Meyerson

Michael I. Meyerson

University of Baltimore - School of Law

Date Written: 1985

Abstract

After three decades of what Chief Justice Burger termed ‘the almost explosive development’ of cable television, Congress updated the Communications Act of 1934 with the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984. The Act represents the culmination of a ‘decade long effort to update the Communications Act of 1934 . . . and bring our outdated communications laws into the information age.’ The 1984 Cable Act was a complicated piece of legislation, the result of countless compromises and political deals. This Article explains how Congress attempted to balance the competing, and sometimes mutually exclusive, interests of the cable operators, cities, video programmers, and the viewing public.

Keywords: Cable Act, Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, Communications Act of 1934, Legislation, Broadcasting, Cable Television, Video Programming, Common Carrier

JEL Classification: K19, K23, K39, L82

Suggested Citation

Meyerson, Michael I., The Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984: A Balancing Act on the Coaxial Wires (1985). Georgia Law Review, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 543-622, Spring 1985, University of Baltimore School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1605276

Michael I. Meyerson (Contact Author)

University of Baltimore - School of Law ( email )

1420 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
210
Abstract Views
2,579
Rank
262,884
PlumX Metrics