Groups Call for Retrans Reform

[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Steve Donohue]
EchoStar Communications and groups representing small and rural cable distributors teamed up Thursday to ask Congress to reform retransmission-consent rules. Pointing to a recent statement from CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves -- who said the company hopes to reap “hundreds of millions of dollars” by getting distributors to pay for carrying CBS -- the groups argued that satellite and cable distribution drives broadcast ad revenue, and that they, therefore, shouldn't be asked to pay for the programming. The groups also complained that media conglomerates Disney, News Corp., Viacom and NBC Universal have used retransmission consent to force distributors to carry cable programming on basic tiers.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6314667.html?display=Breaking+News
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* Hill Hears It on Retrans Reform
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6314756?display=Breaking+News...
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