FCC's authority to regulate cable is limited to rates. It has no authority to regulate cable content.

You could try actually doing a little reading before commenting. You're dead wrong.

First, don't be rude. Second, link or it didn't happen.

Are you trolling? I linked to every substantive statement I made in the answer. Hence my suggestion to read before commenting. EDIT: even without links, I quoted directly from federal regulations....

Frankly, I think a better question is do you have a link that supports your contention that the FCC's authority is restricted to broadcast? I already provided a link to the page which states the FCC "regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states." Here's a consumer guide discussing numerous non-rate cable issues the FCC handles: fcc.gov/consumers/guides/subscriber-signal-quality-standards‌​. And here's a link to the Media Bureau which "develops, recommends, and administers the policy and licensing programs...

... relating to the media industry, including cable television, broadcast television, and radio." (fcc.gov/media)

"The Media Bureau plays a key role in promoting innovation in the media marketplace, as it develops, recommends, and administers the policy and licensing programs" "Licensing programs" refers to licensing procedures -- not to programming (which refers to content). Re: "do you have a link that supports..." I don't need one. FCC's authority is limited to what it is authorized by law. You have yet to indicate which law allows FCC to regulate content communicated through physical media by private parties.

Signal quality issues are related to rates because it's an issue of quality of a paid-for signal.

Okay, so per my above comment, you're trolling. If you don't need links to support your claims, then neither do I. Nevertheless I indeed do have them. The FCC's authority isn't simply limited by law because you say so. So, if what you're saying is true, support it. Otherwise, to borrow a quote, "link or it didn't happen." As it turns out, the FCC regulates a significant amount more than just "rates." Finally, it's worth noting: why did you even comment? Neither the question nor my answer discuss cable, save for my 2nd paragraph which is paraphrased directly from the agency's website.

I am gonna let it go for a bit since you put some effort into making a quality post. But I am be tempted to downvote because the bit about cable is misleading. If you do find a link buttressing the claim that FCC has the authority to regulate cable content (as opposed to broadcast content) or if you decide to remove the reference to cable form the answer, I'll be happy to erase my comments above.

Lol, I'm not deleting a correct statement. You're wrong and you're being inconsistent. First, you said the FCC's authority re: cable is limited to rates. However, it's not, as demonstrated by, among other places at the links I already provided, the quote you included above, which states the FCC develops, recommends, and administers the policy and licensing programs. The policies and the licensing ≠ rates. Thus, it's not limited to rates. You said it can't regulate content. Nobody claimed that. Yet it indeed regulates numerous aspects of cable. From the Media link, click "Resource Materials."

again, licensing programs does not refer to content. "programming" is the word FCC uses to refer to content transmitted through "broadcasting" and "cablecasting". I am done. Feel free to look through fcc.gov/media/engineering/cable-television if you want compare how FCC treats cable vs air broadcasts. But you have been entirely too rude to continue this discussion any further. Good day.

You act in bad faith and whine about me being "rude." Rich. You keep mentioning regulation of content. Not me. The FCC does indeed regulate aspects of cable television outside of rates, according to the FCC. Kindly direct your disagreement w/that to one of their consumer-facing divisions for questions or complaints. I read the page you linked. It supports me. As do several links contained here: fcc.gov/media/media-bureau-resource-materials.

Finally, not that I need to provide this, considering you've not supported your claim with anything more than your opinion, but it simply can't be more clear: "The Federal Communications Commission and local franchising authorities are responsible for enforcing a variety of cable television regulations." fcc.gov/media/….

@grovki, @A.fm. please keep the discussion civil

I suppose I should've flagged the comments

@A.fm. @grovkin the question of whether the FCC can regulate cable in any particular way is not particularly important here; rather, the problem is that 47 CFR 73.1217 on its face applies explicitly only to over-the-air broadcasters. See 47 CFR 73.1001. I haven't been able to find anywhere that incorporates these rules to cable-only content by reference or definition, but I could easily have overlooked it.

If you follow the definitions, you go through "station" ultimately to "radio communication." The claim in the answer is in fact made with respect to "broadcast," although the answer also implies (perhaps incorrectly) that the rule applies to cable content that has not been broadcast. The example in the question concerns Fox News. If Fox News is not "broadcast" (under the definitions that pertain to the regulation) then it's not clear that 73.1217 applies.

However, prosecution might be possible under 47 USC 559 if a hoax is "unprotected by the Constitution of the United States," which it probably is.

@phoog If the hypothetical hoax you describe meets the criteria of the definition in the regulation of "Broadcast of hoaxes," then it is unlikely to be protected by the Constitution. Saying fake things which cause harm is not protected speech.