Howard Stirk Holdings Agrees to $100,000 Settlement for Good Faith Violation
TV broadcaster Howard Stirk Holdings agreed to pay $100,000 for violating FCC retransmission consent good-faith negotiation rules, said a Media Bureau consent decree Friday. The settlement involves an FCC ruling of violations of good-faith rules by several broadcasters that --…
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!
like HSH -- operate sidecar stations with Sinclair (see 2001170038). Deerfield Media and other broadcasters found in violation filed an application for review of the ruling, but HSH didn’t join in that appeal. The stations “refused to negotiate, unreasonably delayed negotiations, and failed to respond to proposals,” said the order. “The Bureau explained that the AT&T Order “constitute[d] only a partial resolution of this matter” and “reserve[d] the right to take enforcement action proposing a forfeiture” against the station groups, including HSH,” said a footnote. HSH agreed to admit violating good-faith rules and institute a compliance plan that includes the requirement that it engage independent counsel during retrans negotiations for the next three years to advise it on compliance.