
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 22, 1993                   TAG: 9312220041
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

FCC FINE-TUNES FORM FOR CABLE TV COMPLAINTS

The Federal Communications Commission has realized the error of its ways. It has prepared a revision to its cable complaint form that consumers must fill out to finger cable companies that are not complying with the new federal cable law.

Though about half of subscribers who sent in forms since September filled them out correctly, the other half goofed up and received a rejection letter from the FCC.

So the FCC has simplified, simplified, simplified. It eliminated the goopy bureaucratese ("complainant's name" in the first form became "your name" in the second). It made this one look easier to fill out (more white space, bigger boxes to check off). The troublesome "Box 9," which required subscribers to list their cable channels (lots messed this one up) has been banished altogether.

The instructions, which formerly totaled 17 items that read like a legal textbook, now comprise five steps with lots of back-up information presented in a question-and-answer format.

Best of all, there is help.

The FCC will provide telephone numbers that people can call to check the status of a complaint and to get help filling out the form.

"We anticipate it will take less time, and be less trouble," said Michael Ruger, attorney in the FCC's cable services division, who wrote the new form.

The new version of Form 329 was reviewed at the highest level of the FCC: Reed Hundt, new chairman of the commission, eyeballed it and even proposed a few changes.

by CNB