EUREKA, CALIF. — For local television viewers that wish to watch the local NBC and CBS affiliates, it’s been a difficult start to 2020. First, Altice USA-owned Suddenlink, the dominant cable TV services provider across Humboldt County, blocked its customers from viewing them in the absence of a retransmission consent agreement.
Then, as soon as that “blackout” ended, another one transpired, with AT&T-owned DirecTV preventing its subscribers from seeing the stations — owned by Cox Media Group.
The local Member of Congress is irate. And, he’s going so far as to seek the elimination of the so-called “UHF discount” in legislation he’s set to introduce — a new wrinkle to Rep. Jared Huffman‘s efforts in Washington to end retrans impasses such as these.
