FCC Trumps Hill On Retransmission Reform Action

The pay TV industry has scored points in its continuing campaign to reform retransmission consent, both on Capitol Hill and at the Federal Communications Commission -- but any significant additional reforms are more likely to come from the agency than Congress, industry lobbyists say.

“The bigger threat on retrans[mission] looms at the FCC with a chairman who is demonstrably hostile to the terrestrial broadcast system,” says one leading broadcast attorney who asked not to be identified.

Whether Congress ever takes additional steps to reform retransmission or not, Chairman Wheeler has already teed up a further notice of rulemaking seeking comment on whether to eliminate the agency’s network nonduplication and syndicated exclusivity rules, regulations that make it easier for stations to protect the exclusivity of their programming in their markets.