How the government helped end Dish, Sinclair TV blackouts

On August 26, the Federal Communications Commission took the unusual step of intervening in the Dish-Sinclair dispute, the latest move by an activist communications agency that has become impatient of the private sector's business disputes. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler called representatives from both companies to the agency in Southwest Washington to hash out their differences. By the close of business, in remarkably short time, the two sides came to an agreement.

They didn't sign a new licensing deal -- that's still being worked out. But unlike other disputes on retransmission fee negotiations, the two sides agreed to end blackouts. Dish said it still working on a long-term contract with Sinclair, but commended the FCC. Retransmission disputes have been a particular annoyance to Chairman Wheeler, even as Congress has for years struggled with the TV industry's contract squabbles. These fees, which cable and satellite firms pay local TV stations for the rights to their programming, have exploded in cost in recent years.