ATVA Opposing Broadcast Request for Later Deadlines in Totality of Circumstances NPRM
Calling retransmission consent reform "long overdue," the American Television Alliance (ATVA) is opposing a request by broadcasters to extend the deadlines in the FCC rulemaking on the "totality of circumstances" test for good-faith retransmission consent negotiations. "This matter can no…
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longer wait," ATVA said in a filing posted Monday in docket 15-216, saying a two-month delay sought by NAB and some broadcast affiliate groups (see 1510230039) equals $1.3 billion paid by multichannel video programming distributors in retrans consent fees. The broadcast groups said they needed the additional time because they were busy with spectrum auction issues, but ATVA questioned that: "The auction presumably will not prevent broadcasters from negotiating retransmission consent agreements as they expire. They are more than capable of dealing with multiple issues simultaneously. Broadcasters cannot expect the public interest to go on hiatus while they prepare for their auction."