Wave Worries not Concrete Enough To Rate Retrans Rule Reform, NAB Says
Wave might be suspicious of broadcasters' intentions with "additional station" language in retransmission consent talks, but that "certainly is not enough to allow the Commission to engage in any kind of reasoned decision-making," NAB said in a filing Friday in…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
FCC docket 15-216. The filing was in response to a previous Wave filing complaining about such language, which would allow a broadcast group owner to bring in other stations that either were bought or ceded their retrans negotiation rights to that agreement (see 1603100048). NAB said existing joint-negotiation rules obviate the need for the current retrans consent proceeding, saying if additional station language is a problem, the FCC "must have clear articulation of that problem and be able to explain why a rule is necessary to prevent their operation." Wave hasn't given any basis for banning such negotiation proposals, NAB said: "While perhaps cathartic, mere listing of objectionable subjects that don't present any concrete harms and are outside the scope of the Commission's authority is not enough to warrant the dramatic step of adding regulations." Wave didn't comment.