Why is Fox News Allowed To Spread Falsehoods? Seriously, where is the FCC?

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123. Cable television.

We could argue semantics. There is a statutory definition of cable service. DirecTV isn't cable service. Streaming service isn't cable service. Internet access service isn't cable. Indeed, there would be no fight over the FCC's authority to adopt net neutrality regulations if the fact internet access service was offered by, among others, cable television providers, made internet access service "cable service." No, the fight is over whether internet access is subject to FCC regulation turns on whether internet access is a "telecommunications service" or an "information service".

Leaving that aside, the reason that cable systems have to get local franchises, but DBS does not, is that cable systems reach consumers with wires -- either coaxial cable or fiber optic cable -- laid in the public rights of way. A portion of the capacity of those wires is used to deliver cable service, primarily video. A portion is used for voice and a portion is used to provide internet. It reaches the home through a wire. Once in the home, the cable service portion typically is delivered via a coaxial cable that runs from a navigation device -- historically referred to as a cable box or cable converter -- to the back of the set. Separate, streaming services, such as netflix, disney+, MAX, YouTubeTV, get to the set via a wire from the cable company that delivers internet access to a modem. The connection between the modem and the tv set can be a wired connection, although more often it goes from the modem to a wireless router that delivers the streaming service to a "smart TV" that can receive a wireless signal. But the streaming services are not cable service and aren't regulated. To be sure, there are some cable systems that are converting from the traditional coaxial cable technology to an IP protocol technology, although those services don't use the Internet, they use a portion of the capacity of the cable to deliver an internet protocol signal to a modem, separate from the portion used for access to the world wide web.

Bottom line: If you want the content of video services like Fox News that are delivered by cable operators via coaxial cable to be regulated because cable also delivers streaming services via the internet then you should also be fine with the content of those streaming service, and of all other internet-delivered services, to be regulated.