HDTV Almanac - Retransmission Fees: Who Is Winning?

[alfredpoor]

As I have mentioned recently, one of the big topics for 2012 will be the dispute over retransmission fees. Cable and satellite service providers complain that the content producers are holding their customers hostage in order to extort larger fees for the rights to rebroadcast their copyrighted programming. The result has been blackouts of channels [...]

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[BobDiaz]

While the word, "fair", is subject to who you're talking to, this is one of those cases, where the Federal Government may have to step in to set the "fair" amount based on past figures across the country.

Bob Diaz

[alfredpoor]

I'm no big fan of federal intervention, but I have to agree with you, Bob. The broadcast spectrum is held in trust for the citizens of the United States by the federal government, with the laws of Congress adminstered by the FCC. I believe that will take action on that level to resolve this mess. While this is an opportunity for some creative solutions that can redefine the whole problem, I don't expect that we'll get that.

Alfred
HDTV Almanac