Comcast stalls FCC order to change Tennis Channel number

{mosads}Comcast sued to overturn the ruling, arguing that the decision was “arbitrary and capricious” as well as a violation of its First Amendment right to free speech. The company also filed an emergency motion asking the court to delay the implementation of the FCC’s order pending the outcome of the case.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted Comcast’s motion for a stay on Friday.  

“We are pleased the Court of Appeals has recognized the serious issues raised by the FCC’s unprecedented Tennis Channel decision and granted our request to stay the FCC’s action, sparing millions of our customers needless disruption,” said Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast’s vice president of government communications. 

The FCC vowed to continue the fight in court.

“We look forward to defending our order on the merits,” FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield said.

But the two Republican FCC commissioners, who dissented from the original Tennis Channel order, applauded the federal court.

“As stated in our joint dissent, we believe the [FCC’s] decision errs on both the law and the facts, undermines the public interest and raises serious First Amendment concerns,” Commissioners Robert McDowell and Ajit Pai said in a joint statement. “We look forward to the federal appeals court giving this matter a full and fair hearing while preventing irreparable harm to the parties.”