Coalitions representing pay-TV companies and broadcasters took out...
Coalitions representing pay-TV companies and broadcasters took out new ads in Washington on Local Choice, the Senate proposal that would overhaul retransmission consent rules to end TV blackouts. Broadcasters have opposed the idea and said they're unfairly singled out. The…
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American Television Alliance (ATVA), representing some pay-TV providers, has widely advertised in favor of the proposal and offered a Tuesday advertisement in Politico telling people they “could be next” in facing TV blackouts (http://bit.ly/1uupDrd). TVFreedom, representing broadcasters, featured advertising in the National Journal blasting Local Choice and telling people to contact their senators saying “no new fees for local TV.” (TVFreedom has also purchased advertising in Communications Daily.) TVFreedom’s spokesman cited statements from pay-TV industry stakeholders opposing an a la carte model being used more widely in the video market, placed in an op-ed for The Hill Tuesday. “The contortions taken by certain members of the cable and satellite TV industry to achieve that advantage reflect a flip-flop of Olympic proportion,” the TVFreedom spokesman said of pay-TV backing for Local Choice (http://bit.ly/1tHHJbw). “The naked truth is that such hypocrisy can only be rationally explained by the cable and satellite lobby desire to drive local TV stations off the air.” Some TVFreedom members -- The Hispanic Institute, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the National Black Religious Broadcasters and the Rural Agriculture Council of America -- sent individual letters to Senate Commerce protesting Local Choice. Public Knowledge, an ATVA member, in a blog post Tuesday partially endorsed Local Choice but cautioned it will be tricky and that Congress should be ready for unpredictable effects of Local Choice on billing and make sure viewers get any savings. “While there are inevitable complicated details, in broad strokes Local Choice is the beginning of a great idea for TV viewers and, if adjusted appropriately to protect consumers, a significant step toward video reform,” Public Knowledge Senior Staff Attorney John Bergmayer said (http://bit.ly/1xEMKE8). Charter, a member of ATVA, praised Senate Commerce Committee leadership for including Local Choice in their Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization legislation, set for markup consideration next week. “The current retransmission consent regime is broken, and the Senators’ legislative proposal offers a clear and simple fix,” Charter said in a statement Monday (http://bit.ly/1p3aGXF). “Stopping broadcast blackouts and increasing consumer control is a logical path forward.” Charter called the reauthorization bill “thoughtful.” Other ATVA members such as the American Cable Association and Dish have also issued statements praising the STELA reauthorization bill since its circulation Friday.