ACA Renews Call for Retrans Reform

Using a newly-released retransmission consent study by SNL Kagan

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/6/2009 5:35:28 PM

The American Cable Association is using a newly-released retransmission consent study by SNL Kagan to renew its call for retrans reform.

Kagan last week projected that retrans fees--the fees cable operators pay some TV station owners to carry their signals--will jump to $1.2 billion by 2011.

ACA issued its own study several weeks back about the disproportionate hit smaller operators are taking from what it says are excessive retrans fee hikes and broadcasters say are fair value for valuable programming.

ACA submitted the study in comments to the FCC on the state of competition.

"Congress must fix a broken retransmission consent process by preventing broadcasters from unjustifiably discriminating against consumers served by cable operators with a small number of subscribers in a local TV market," said ACA president Matthew Polka.

Talkback

» Submit Feedback

• It's not simply unjust - retrans in its present form is criminal! Taxpayers beware - we are being double taxed by broadcasters. As their programming becomes less appealing and viewership continues to decline it is us that will continue to fill the coffers of a business that has been mismanaged and is failing. Broadcasters were GIVEN the spectrum of air to broadcast signals FREE by us - the taxpayer - and those of us that subscribe to cable TV (70% of the country) pay again - every month - upwards of $1 per channel - Comcast and Time Warner customers not as much. The simple fact is no one should pay! Citizens - contact your representatives in Washington and demand free TV be FREE!

  
  Quigley Spargus - 7/8/2009 8:12:34 AM EDT
» Submit Feedback

Related Content

• Topics
• Author

Study: Station Revenue Up 5.2% in 2010

08/18/2009

Cable Operators Ask for 'Quiet' on Retrans Disputes after DTV Transition

05/06/2008

ACA Addresses Rising Retransmission Consent Payments

05/07/2009

American Cable Association Supports Mediacom in Retrans Fight With Sinclair

11/18/2009

Small Cable Operators to Congress: Help!

10/22/2009

Also by this author

• Developing: San Fran Board Slated To Vote On Resolution Backing Network Neutrality

• McDowell 'Very Troubled' By Social Security Number Collection

• Genachowski Says American Troops Need High-Speed Broadband

• House Committee Holding Hearing on Arbitron PPM

• FCC Wants Input On Measuring Fixed Residential, Small Business Broadband

Also by John Eggerton

Product Wire

• Resource Center
• Browse Categories
• Browse Companies

Featured Company

• Grab Networks

  

  Created from the merger between Anystream and Voxant Media, Grab Networks offers a comprehensive video operating system and syndication network for profitably publishing video anywhere on the Internet. The system automatically manages, transcodes... more

• Parks Associates

  

  Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from... more

• Telestream

  

  Telestream products are used by the world's leading media and entertainment companies and corporations for transcoding and workflow automation. Telestream helps customers transform their media for multiplatform distribution to web, mobile, DVD... more

• Akamai

  

  Akamai provides market-leading managed services for powering rich media, dynamic transactions, and enterprise applications online. Having pioneered the content delivery market one decade ago, Akamai's services have been adopted by the world's most... more

---

Related Resources

• Reaching Viewers In A Multicultural, Multiscreen World