Retrans

Media Bureau Dismisses Broadcaster’s Carriage Complaint May 13, 2021

In a recent Memorandum Opinion and Order (the “Order”), the FCC dismissed a December 2020 carriage complaint in which a broadcaster (the “Broadcaster”) alleged that a cable provider (the “MVPD”)...

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FCC Declines to Terminate Proceeding Seeking to Classify OVDs as MVPDs for Retransmission Consent Purposes October 6, 2020

In an important about-face, the Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau recently issued an Order declining to terminate an ongoing proceeding in which the Commission is considering whether to treat...

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Violation of Per Se Good Faith Retransmission Consent Negotiating Standards May Cost TV Licensees More Than $500k Per Station September 28, 2020

In a different development of potentially great significance relating to retransmission consent, the Commission earlier this month issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order and Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture...

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Broadcaster to Pay $100,000 to Commission for Violating Retrans Consent “Good Faith” Provisions May 7, 2020

A broadcaster has admitted that it did not negotiate retransmission consent in “good faith,” agreed to pay a $100,000 civil penalty, and agreed to implement a three-year compliance plan to...

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FCC Opens Rulemaking to Revise “Significantly Viewed” Process April 8, 2020

The Commission has targeted the “significantly viewed” rules as the latest regulation in need of a fresh look in its ongoing “Media Modernization Initiative.”  In a recently adopted  Notice of...

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Retrans-Related: FCC Considers Updates to Required Notice of “Service Changes” to Account for Last-Minute Carriage Negotiation Deals January 6, 2020

The Commission’s latest item in its ongoing Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative looks at updating cable operators’ notice requirements in light of the current state of many retransmission consent negotiations. ...

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Broadcasters Claiming Victory as Congress Passes “STELAR” Legislation December 20, 2019

The broadcast industry is ending 2019 on a high note after securing what is generally being considered a big win on the STELAR legislation.  No doubt by now you have...

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FCC Order Modernizing Retrans Consent/Must-Carry Carriage Election Process Takes Effect October 29 August 29, 2019

We now know the effective date for rule changes that significantly modernize the FCC’s carriage election notice rules by moving broadcasters’ carriage election notices to primarily electronic means.  The Report...

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“Modern Television Act” Introduced; Broadcasters Opposing Legislation August 8, 2019

Just before adjourning for Congress’s August recess, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced their long-awaited video marketplace legislation, titled the “Modern Television Act of...

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FCC Adopts Order That Moves Carriage Election Notices from Snail-Mail to Electronic Delivery July 11, 2019

Today, the FCC unanimously adopted a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (the “Order”) that moves broadcasters’ carriage election notices to primarily electronic means, significantly modernizing the...

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