Discovery Pushing Back on ACA Buying Group Definition Proposal
Buying groups shouldn't get "special treatment" when representing a multichannel video programing distributor, Discovery Communications said in an ex parte filing posted Thursday in FCC docket 12-68. It responded to a push by the American Cable Association to have the…
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definition of a cable-TV buying group revised to include groups that operate like the National Cable Television Cooperative does so the NCTC can enjoy the same nondiscriminatory program access protections of other buying groups and so that cable-affiliated programmers would have a tougher time excluding buying group members from taking part in the master purchasing agreements (see 1507020018). In the meeting between Catherine Carroll, Discovery vice president-public policy and corporate/government affairs, and Media Bureau staff, Discovery argued that the buying group rules' status quo helps protect programmers "against unnecessary financial risk" while letting them get fair compensation.