Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948. As the cable business developed, local broadcasting channels struggled to compete.

On this day, December 13th, in 1995, the U.S. Federal Court ordered cable companies to carry local stations. The court discussion debated the legitimacy of a previously instituted mandate.

This Federal District Court panel, comprised of three judges, confirmed that the must-carry rules set up by Congress in 1992 were, in fact, needed in order to protect the broadcast industry. These must-carry rules require all cable operators, excepting the smallest operators, to devote one third of their channels to local broadcasters.