Pay-TV providers to FCC: 'Step up to the plate'

An alliance of pay-TV providers has a message for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about its approach to an ongoing TV dispute: You're not doing enough.

"The FCC needs to step up to the plate and create a real solution by reforming retransmission consent rules immediately," said the American Television Alliance (ATVA), which includes satellite and cable companies as well as consumer groups. "Instead of using its authority to protect Cablevision's customers from the [Fox] blackout, the FCC tweeted updates from the Phillies-Giants playoff game last night to fill in 'the baseball void for those without Fox-Cablevision,'" said a statement from ATVA. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has also called the companies to encourage a swift resolution. But those actions aren't enough, in ATVA's view. "And now this? Twitter updates of baseball games?" the group said. ATVA wants reform to retransmission consent rules that govern negotiations between broadcasters and paid TV providers, so broadcasters do not have the power to pull their content. The broadcasters say that situations such as the Cablevision dispute are rare, so an overhaul is unnecessary.