Mediacom Asks FCC to Limit Retransmission Blackouts

Mediacom is filing a petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking it to prevent blackouts during retransmission consent disputes for any station that does not reach 90 percent of its market over-the-air or via the Web, which Mediacom suggests is most stations in its market and in the country. What Mediacom wants most is some action out of the FCC on what it calls the "growing crisis" in retransmission consent and in response to various petitions and inquiries on the subject dating back years. Without some action to rein in retrans prices and blackouts, Mediacom says, all but the largest cable operators will have to:

• Cease carrying broadcast stations that elect retransmission consent.
• Get out of the video business altogether, which will necessarily require broadband customers to bear a larger share of network costs.
• Raise the price of retail PayTV service to a level that is unaffordable for tens of millions of consumers.