Broadcaster Arguments a Distraction From Meat of Blackout Rule Petition, Mediacom Says
Broadcasters' opposition to a petition for new blackout rules "takes real chutzpah" because networks and big station groups are the primary drivers in rising costs of basic tiers and in forcing carriage of unwanted channels, cable company Mediacom said in…
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a filing posted Wednesday in RM-11752. Mediacom said broadcaster opposition focused on "a variety of alleged sins" by cable instead of addressing cable's argument for rules preventing local broadcasters from imposing blackouts unless a station's signal is available for free over the air or via Internet streaming to 90 percent of the homes in the relevant market (see 1507070061): that universal access to free broadcasts "is far from a reality." Since making those signals more accessible would actually encourage cord cutting, Mediacom said its blackout-curbing proposal "is motivated by the desire ... to respond to the unhappiness of our customers subjected to blackouts and ever-rising video costs because of content owners' and broadcast stations' pricing practices." Instead of providing evidence their signals reach most viewers in the designated market areas in which they operate, which would neuter the petition, broadcasters "provide excuses why they do not," such as the digital transition, and the 2013 freeze on license modifications, Mediacom said.