RBR+TVBR INFOCUS
Retransmission fee disputes aren’t a regular occurrence, says the NAB. Indeed, in most cases a television broadcasting company and an MVPD can come to terms on a retrans consent agreement without any fear of a “blackout.”
Unfortunately, a lack of a new deal is a story seemingly repeated every several months. In some instances, the “blackout” of a TV station by a provider even goes unreported, such as the long-standing impasse between DISH and Fort Myers Broadcasting Co.
The NAB says retrans consent works, and is fighting Congressional efforts to abandon the current method for getting to broadcast TV station owners what they believe is a reasonable fee in exchange of allowing DBS providers and cable TV service companies from earning profits off of their stations.
Just what the reasonable fee is has emerged as the biggest issue, and a new Kagan analysis won’t help the broadcast TV community.
