National Association of Broadcasters: Treat Online Video Distributors Same as Cable, Satellite

The National Association of Broadcasters endorsed the Federal Communications Commission proposal that online video distributors (OVDs) wishing to carry broadcast signals must obtain retransmission consent from the owners of the signals just as cable and satellite operators do. While applauding the FCC for recognizing broadcasters retransmission rights in the OVD world, the NAB scolded the agency for ignoring other rules that the trade believe should apply to OVDs.

NAB says that, "it’s as if the Commission no longer views localism as one of its key policy objectives." NAB says it agrees with the FCC that linear OVDs defined as multichannel video programming distributor (pay-tv) should be subject to retransmission consent/must carry rules, but challenges its silence on how the network nonduplication and syndicated exclusivity rules would apply, which it says is essential to the concept of localism. It also says it wants the FCC to give broadcasters the ability not to negotiate retransmission with an OVD if it cannot demonstrate it can protect that content from pirates.