At the end of 2019, we reported that Maine had passed a law requiring cable companies to include an à la carte TV option. A judge quickly temporarily blocked the law from going into effect. Now, Maine is challenging that block.
In December the judge blocked the law from being put into action, after it was challenged by Comcast and cable networks. The judge accepted the argument that the law could violate the First Amendment.
Multichannel News reports that Marc Maron, a spokesperson for Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, has now confirmed that the state of Maine filed a notice of appeal, which will go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
“While we certainly respect the lower court’s thoughtful decision,” said Attorney General Frey, “this issue merits appellate review. We continue to contend that the First Amendment does not give cable companies the right, as a business decision, to force customers to buy dozens of channels they don’t want just to get the two or three they actually watch. The First Amendment is about protecting freedom of expression, not protecting business strategies that harm consumers.”
We’ll continue to keep an eye on this case, which could affect both cord cutting and cable TV, and will be back with updates when we learn more.
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