FCC Should Act Quickly on C Spire Retrans Complaint, Says Polka
The FCC should act quickly on wireless provider C Spire’s retransmission consent complaint against Gray Television, said America's Communications Association President Matthew Polka. The complaint alleges CBS and Gray are preventing C-Spire from airing Gray’s WLOX Biloxi, Mississippi, in the…
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Diamondhead market unless C Spire also pays to retransmit another CBS affiliate, Tegna’s WWL-TV New Orleans. “At issue is whether CBS can force the citizens of Diamondhead to pay for two CBS signals, one of which is of little to no interest to the local community, simply so that citizens can receive the in-state, local and significantly viewed station,” said the complaint. “By forcing the citizens of Diamondhead to watch a CBS affiliate in New Orleans instead, CBS is blocking access to local news and programming for a small rural Mississippi community,” Polka said, calling it third-party interference in retransmission consent negotiations. “The complaint is totally without merit,” emailed Gray Vice President-Government Relations and Distribution Rob Folliard. “Gray bent over backwards to accommodate C-Spire and did everything we could to get our stations on their new system in Diamondhead.” CBS didn’t comment. Retrans also came up Tuesday during a House Communications Subcommittee hearing on renewing the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (see 1906040057).