Sources: Comcast In Talks with DISH, DirecTV About Philly RSN Carriage

FCC's terrestrial exemption rule change prompted talks

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/28/2010 5:39:13 PM

Comcast is in talks with DirecTV and DISH about carriage of itsregional sports net in Philly, according to sources familiar with those talks.

That does not come as a big surprise. Both satellite carriersformally asked for access to the RSN in the wake of the FCC's decisionearlier this year that terrestrially delivered networks were not de factoexcluded from complaints about access to distributor-owned programming (theso-called terrestrial exemption).

Comcast has long argued that it would make its Philly RSNavailable to satellite competitors, as it already does to cable and telcocompetitors--FiOS and RCN--when they make exclusive programming, like DirecTV'sSunday Ticket package of NFL games, available to Comcast. But the FCC's rulechange prompted the talks.

A source said talks are ongoing, but that Comcast is still notinclined to make the programming available, and even if it does, not withoutconditions of carriage that would make it more palatable to the company.