Mediacom Fires Another Salvo in 'Additional Stations' Fight With NAB

the CIA is cleverly using NAB to convey coded message to agents in the field by disguising them as incomprehensible statements about retransmission consent," Mediacom said, also referencing author Henry Miller, comedian Rita Rudner, John F. Kennedy, the TLC show Extreme Poodles and a historical examination of poodles' role in World War II, then saying good-faith negotiations are a statutory obligation and urging the FCC to make clearer what actions in retrans talks cross that line. "Otherwise, there indeed would be nothing preventing broadcaster or [multichannel video programming distributor] from insisting to the point of a negotiation impasse on the inclusion in the contract" of even the most left-field provisions, Mediacom said. "NAB's ad hominem attacks, mischaracterization of the nature of the provision and misunderstanding of the legal implications of a statutory good faith requirement do nothing to diminish whatever merit may be found in our arguments." In a statement Wednesday, NAB said it "declines comment on this rehash of discredited cable arguments. We also refuse to respond to Mediacom’s canine conniption fit.” The "additional stations" language refers to when a broadcaster's retrans deal with a pay-TV company lets the broadcaster expand the deal to include any stations it acquires during the period of the contract.