Kansas Cable Operators Want to Block TV Station Sale

Representatives of five Kansas cable operators have asked Gov Sam Brownback (R-KS) to pressure the Federal Communications Commission to reject the pending sale of Topeka's ABC affiliate KTKA to PBC Broadcasting or at the least to impose “consumer safeguards” if it is approved.

In their letter, Bill Barton of Giant Communications, Benjamin Foster of Twin Valley Communications, Thomas Larsen of Mediacom, Steven Sackrider of WTC Communications and Jason Smith of Rainbow Communications say: “Topeka's NBC and Fox stations are already commonly owned by a third entity called New Vision Television. In other areas of the country — including Youngstown, Ohio, and Savannah, Ga., where both PBC Broadcasting and New Vision own television stations — these station groups coordinate their activities, particularly with regard to carriage negotiations with cable, satellite and other pay-TV providers for the purpose of charging the highest possible carriage fees. “This much is quite clear: If the FCC approves the sale of KTKA without appropriate conditions, PBC and New Vision will have a green light from government to form an unprecedented local station triopoly, controlling pay-TV providers’ access to three of the market’s Big Four stations. Absent government intervention, the Topeka Triopoly will use its market clout to stage massive signal blackouts until pay-TV providers, especially vulnerable small and midsize cable operators, cough up an outrageous pile of cash.”