[opendtv] News: Cablevision Petitions FCC For Retrans Reform
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 29 May 2011 12:40:15 -0400
Hmmmm...
I wonder if Cablevision would be willing to publish a subscriber fee
report along with their monthly bills? It would not need to be
published in every bill every month. Maybe just once or twice a year.
Just list the exact amounts you are paying in subscriber fees for ALL
of the channels you receive...
And back this up with a page on their website that lists the
subscriber fee negotiated for every channel on their system.
I doubt they would be willing to go that far...
If consumers actually knew what they are paying they "might" get some backbone!
Regards
Craig
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=151239
Cablevision Petitions FCC For Retrans Reform
by Wayne Friedman, Thursday, May 26, 2011, 10:57 AM
Looking to combat runaway retrans costs -- and sometimes testy
negotiations that lead to TV program blackouts -- cable operator
Cablevision Systems Corp. filed a proposal with the Federal
Communications Commission for some reforms.
The first would "end the practice of requiring the carriage of
unrelated cable channels, owned by broadcasters, in order to also
carry their broadcast networks."
Cablevision says this has allowed broadcasters free spectrum and
other advantages, which in turn raises consumer costs by forcing
carriage of their channels of "limited interest" in exchange for
access to major broadcast networks.
Second, it proposes to demand "transparency." This would end the
practice of allowing broadcasters to keep their prices for carrying
broadcast stations a secret. Retrans fees should be public, it says.
The third proposal would forbid discrimination. While it would allow
broadcasters to continue to set the price of carriage, it would not
allow them to discriminate among cable and satellite providers based
on size or other factors.
Tom Rutledge, chief operating officer of Cablevision Systems, stated,
in reference to TV station "blackouts" that often result from failed
retrans talks: "As the FCC and Congress know, consumers are the ones
who are harmed when broadcasters pull or threaten to pull their
networks from cable systems."
Cablevision's proposals come as the FCC has been reviewing the
retransmission consent process between video program services and TV
stations and programmers.
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