ACA Asks FCC To Block Sale of ABC Affiliate

The American Cable Association has filed a petition at the Federal Communications Commission to deny the sale of an ABC affiliate in Topeka (KS), saying that the deal could give the new owner too much control over retransmission negotiations in the market.

The group wants the FCC to block the sale of ABC affiliate KTKA-TV Topeka to PBC Broadcasting. It points out that Topeka's NBC affiliate and FOX affiliate are owned by New Vision Television, which has shared services agreements with PBC Broadcasting in Youngstown (OH) and Savannah (GA). ACA is concerned that the sale will create a "virtual triopoly" in Topeka and "coordinate" retransmission negotiations for three of the Big four affiliates. ACA says five small cable operators providing service in Topeka, all with retrans deals with KTKA expiring at the end of this year, have filed declarations of support for the petition. If the FCC does approve the deal, says ACA, it should do so with a "narrowly-tailored, transaction-specific condition that would prevent the newly acquired ABC station from jointly bargaining retransmission consent with another major TV station in the Topeka designated market area."