FCC to tackle retransmission issue

The Federal Communications Commission will undertake a review of the retransmission consent rule amid the growing contentiousness between broadcasters and cable operators on carriage agreements, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Wednesday.

"We're going to look at (retrans) the same way we looked at broadband: Open participatory proceedings focusing on facts and data, and just thinking in an open way with an open mind about what would work best for the country and for all the players involved," Chairman Genachowski said. A group of cable, satellite and telco operators filed a petition with the FCC last week urging the commission to mandate that retrans disputes be subject to arbitration and that stations cannot pull their signals while negotiations are ongoing -- a key leverage point for station owners. The FCC is expected to post a formal notice seeking comments from the public on the petition some time this week.