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Follow on Google News | ACA President & CEO Matthew Polka Comments On LIN TV's Decision To End Its Six-Week Blackout of MeSix weeks are a long time for consumers to be disconnected from what broadcasters, like LIN TV, call ‘free TV.’ LIN TV just proved that retransmission consent harms consumers. The retransmission consent rules need to be updated very soon
“Six weeks are a long time for consumers to be disconnected from what broadcasters, like LIN TV, call ‘free TV.’ LIN TV just proved that retransmission consent harms consumers. If the retransmission consent rules are not updated to reflect current market conditions, millions more will be harmed as price-gouging TV stations follow in LIN’s path of ‘blackmail or blackout’ in the distribution of monopoly local TV signals. “Decisive action by the Federal Communications Commission is needed soon because approximately 900 independent cable operators have to conclude retransmission consent agreements by Dec. 31, 2011, or face TV station blackouts on a massive scale, especially in smaller markets like Topeka, Kan., where one broadcaster just gained control of the retrans rights to the ABC, NBC, and FOX affiliates now carried by 10 ACA members in that market. “In addition to repudiating blackouts, the FCC should use the pending retransmission consent rulemaking to outlaw separately owned TV stations in the same market from coordinating their negotiations for carriage fees, which is nothing but a crass price-fixing scheme aimed at small cable operators with no leverage to resist. The FCC also needs to clamp down on broadcasters that curtail cable operator access to out-of-market stations desired by their customers.” About the American Cable Association: # # # ACA supports independent cable operators and their customers by promoting a legislative and regulatory environment that allows for a fair and competive marketplace and by providing the tools and information our members need to compete effectively End
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