Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and...

rid of blackouts, makes sure that broadcasters are fairly paid, and puts viewers in control by giving them meaningful choice over their programming options and offering more opportunity to control the cost of their pay-TV subscriptions,” said the sheet describing the legislation. American Cable Association President Matthew Polka lauded the proposal. ACA “believes that Sen. Rockefeller and Sen. Thune, acting in a bipartisan fashion on an important consumer welfare issue, deserve the highest praise for offering a legislative proposal designed to advance the public interest in the receipt of over-the-air local broadcast stations from pay-TV providers,” Polka said in a statement. “The approach taken by Sens. Rockefeller and Thune is to put consumers first. It will permanently remove consumers from retransmission consent disputes and provide consumers with more choice in the selection of TV station programming than they have seen in decades.” Polka called the proposal “bold and necessary” and hopes it becomes law this year. The proposal “is very pro-consumer and would mark a huge improvement for all parties compared to today’s broken retransmission consent system,” said New America Foundation Wireless Future Project Director Michael Calabrese by email. “We would prefer to see Congress simply eliminate the must carry rules for commercial broadcast programming, but for now the Rockefeller/Thune concept is an elegant compromise that will at least stop broadcasters from holding viewers hostage during blackouts for undeserved retransmission payments.” Rockefeller and Thune have been collaborating on Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization legislation and plan to unveil and consider it in September, they've said. NAB opposed attaching such legislation to STELA. It’s “a significant rewrite of the Communications Act,” NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton said in a statement. “Given the shortness of time between now and the end of the Congressional session, we question whether there is sufficient time for key committees in Congress to give this proposal the thorough review that is warranted.” The proposal “ends some of the most troubling aspects of the present retransmission consent system for consumers,” the fact sheet said. “Importantly, (1) it ends blackouts associated with contentious retransmission consent negotiations; (2) it requires every local broadcast TV station to be made available to [multichannel video programming distributors] MVPD subscribers; (3) it guarantees viewers have transparency on retransmission prices; and (4) it gives viewers more control over their MVPD subscription. At the same time, it preserves fair compensation for broadcasters -- in fact, it allows them to freely, fairly, and transparently value their programming.” Rockefeller’s and Thune’s offices did not immediately offer further comment on the proposal.