Video programmers will meet with lawmakers on retransmission consent

Video programmers are in Washington Sept 16 to lobby on retransmission consent rules, which govern negotiations between broadcasters and the platforms, such as cable stations, that pay to air their content.

The group of non-broadcast TV stations, which will meet with members on Thursday, said the Federal Communications Commission should launch a proceeding to examine the rules. Critics of the rules argue they too heavily favor broadcast television stations because they can pull their content at any time. TV stations go dark for viewers when that happens. The broadcasters say they deserve the muscle to negotiate a fair compensation for their work. The video programmers also sent a letter to Congress on Thursday, signed by the Outdoor Channel, Starz, Africa Channel, Retirement Living TV and the Gospel Music Channel. Si TV wrote to members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to say that the system is broken. The signatories are concerned that retransmission consent payments will not come from consumers, but from their own non-broadcast-affiliated networks.