Federal Communications Commission DA 12-703
Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of
The Tennis Channel, Inc., 
 Complainant
v. 
Comcast Cable Communications, LLC,
 Defendant
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MB Docket No. 10-204
File No. CSR-8258-P
Order
Adopted:  May 2, 2012 Released:  May 2, 2012
By the General Counsel:
1. On December 20, 2011, the Chief Administrative Law Judge issued an Initial Decision in 
this proceeding granting a complaint filed by The Tennis Channel, Inc. against Comcast Cable 
Communications, LLC.1 The Tennis Channel seeks an order compelling Comcast’s immediate 
compliance with the Initial Decision.2 Comcast opposes this request and seeks a conditional stay of the 
Initial Decision.3
2. The Initial Decision concludes that Comcast violated sections 616 of the 
Communications Act and 76.1301(c) of the Commission’s rules4 by unreasonably discriminating against 
The Tennis Channel with respect to the terms and conditions of its carriage by Comcast’s cable systems.5  
As a result, the Initial Decision orders Comcast to pay a forfeiture of $375,000 and carry The Tennis 
Channel on the same tier as Comcast’s affiliated sports programming networks, Golf Channel and Versus 
(now NBC Sports Network).6 In addition, the Initial Decision requires Comcast to afford The Tennis 
  
1 The Tennis Channel, Inc. v. Comcast Cable Commc’ns, LLC, Initial Decision of Chief Administrative Law Judge 
Richard L. Sippel, MB Docket No. 10-204, File No. CSR 8258-P, 26 FCC Rcd 17160 (2011) (Initial Decision).
2 The Tennis Channel, Inc., Petition to Compel Comcast’s Compliance with Initial Decision, MB Docket No. 10-
204, File No. CSR 8258-P (filed Jan. 13, 2012).  
3 Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, Opposition to Tennis Channel’s Petition to Compel Comcast’s Compliance 
with Initial Decision (filed Jan. 25, 2012); Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, Comcast’s Conditional Petition 
for Stay (filed Jan. 25, 2012); see also The Tennis Channel, Inc., Opposition to Comcast’s Conditional Petition for 
Stay (filed Feb. 6, 2012); FCC Enforcement Bureau, Enforcement Bureau’s Comments on Conditional Petition for 
Stay (filed Feb. 6, 2012); Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, Motion for Acceptance of Comcast’s Reply to 
Tennis Channel’s Opposition to Comcast’s Conditional Petition for Stay (filed Feb. 10, 2012); The Tennis Channel, 
Inc., Opposition to Motion for Acceptance of Comcast’s Reply, or in the Alternative, Request for Leave to File 
Surreply (filed Feb. 14, 2012).
4 47 U.S.C. § 536; 47 C.F.R. § 76.1301(c).
5 Initial Decision at ¶¶ 105-116.
6 Id. at ¶¶ 117-119, 121.
Federal Communications Commission DA 12-703 
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Channel “equitable treatment (vis-à-vis Golf Channel and Versus) as to channel placement.”7 Comcast 
has filed exceptions to the Initial Decision as well as an application for review of the earlier hearing 
designation order (HDO) that led to the ALJ’s decision.8  The Tennis Channel asserts that, under the 
Commission’s rules and the terms of the HDO,9 the Initial Decision became effective on release.10  
Comcast asserts that, by its own terms, the Initial Decision was automatically stayed by Comcast’s filing 
of exceptions, but it seeks a stay in the event the Commission determines otherwise, claiming, among 
other things, that it would be irreversibly harmed in the absence of a stay.11
3. Chairman Genachowski has circulated to his fellow Commissioners a proposed order 
addressing The Tennis Channel’s petition to compel compliance and Comcast’s petition for conditional 
stay.  To remove the existing uncertainty about Comcast’s obligations while the Commissioners consider 
that item, we hereby stay the Initial Decision on our own motion pending the Commission’s action on the 
parties’ petitions.12
4. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to sections 4(i), 4(j), and 616 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i), 154(j), and 536, and sections 76.10(c)(2), 
76.1301, and 76.1302 of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 76.10(c)(2), 76.1301-1302, the Initial 
Decision IS STAYED until the effective date of a Commission order on the Petition to Compel 
Comcast’s Compliance with Initial Decision filed by The Tennis Channel, Inc. and the Conditional 
Petition for Stay filed by Comcast Cable Communications, LLC in this proceeding.
5. This action is taken pursuant to authority delegated by Section 0.251(c) of the 
Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. § 0.251(c).
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Austin C. Schlick
General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
  
7 Id. at ¶ 120. 
8 Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, Exceptions to Initial Decision (filed Jan. 19, 2012); Comcast Cable 
Communications, LLC, Application for Review of Comcast Cable Communications, LLC (filed Jan. 19, 2012); see 
also The Tennis Channel, Inc., Reply to Exceptions to Initial Decision (filed Feb. 6, 2012); The Tennis Channel, 
Inc., Opposition to Application for Review (filed Feb. 6, 2012). 
9 The Tennis Channel v. Comcast Cable Commc’ns, LLC, Hearing Designation Order and Notice of Opportunity for 
Hearing for Forfeiture, 25 FCC Rcd 14149, 14163 n.119 (MB 2010) (“[u]nless the Commission grants a stay of the 
ALJ’s decision, such decision will become effective upon release and will remain in effect pending appeal.”).
10 Petition to Compel at 3-7 (citing HDO at n.119 and 47 C.F.R. §§ 76.10(c)(2), 76.1302(j)(1)).
11 Opposition to Tennis Channel’s Petition to Compel Comcast’s Compliance with Initial Decision at 6-9; 
Conditional Petition for Stay at 5-7; see Initial Decision, supra note 1, at n.361 (“This Initial Decision shall become 
effective and this proceeding shall be terminated 50 days after release if exceptions are not filed within 30 days 
thereafter, unless the Commission elects to review the case of its own motion.  47 C.F.R. § 1.276(b).”).  
12 To the extent it is necessary to do so, we also waive 47 C.F.R. § 76.1302(j)(1), which provides that Initial 
Decisions mandating program carriage become effective upon release unless compliance would require the deletion 
of programming; see id. § 1.3 (Commission may waive any rule on its own motion for good cause).