DC Reacts to TWC-CBS Retransmission Resolution

There was a mix of reaction in Washington to the news that CBS and Time Warner Cable had resolved their carriage dispute, but retransmission reformers wanted to keep striking before the iron had cooled.

The National Association of Broadcasters was pleased with the deal, but took the opportunity to point to what it suggested were the primary pay-TV culprits in retransmission disputes. "The unfortunate reality is that in the last two years, 89% of all retransmission consent disruptions have involved three companies: Time Warner Cable, DirecTV and Dish," NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton said.

American Cable Association President Matt Polka didn't want the relief that the blackout was over to obscure what he saw as the underlying issue: “The point that no one should miss is that CBS’ massive blackout of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks showed that the retransmission consent market is broken and outdated rules governing these negotiations need to be updated to reflect current market conditions. If CBS can leave millions of pay-TV viewers in the dark for 32 days, no one can say with a straight face that the marketplace is working well for consumers."