The Cable Retransmission Act of 1992 Needs Updating!

[Jack 1000]

Well,

As most of you know, TWC and CBS have reached a retransmission carriage agreement restoring CBS to affected markets, and Showtime, as well as sister stations owned by CBS to all markets.  The battke is over, but unless the 1992 law is changed to better protect customers, wars will continue over fees.  There is no agreement between TWC and Journal Broadcasting Company over a similar dispute as of this writing.

What needs to happen is a mandate that prohibits any station blackouts while both parties negotiate new agreements.  Customers need to be protected by insuring that they have the programing for which they pay.  Companies need to establish fair and reasonable fees based on the best interests of the customer and what he/she can afford in trying economic times.  The current law also fails to address the tremendous opportunities for on-line and mobile technologies. STOP MAKING CUSTOMERS PAWNS IN FEE DISPUTES BY WITHHOLDING PROGRAMING FROM THEM AND BLAMING THE OTHER SIDE FOR THESE OCCURRENCES!  All TV venders and their host companies have to find a way to keep channels on during the negotiation process, so that the blackouts like the one between CBS and TWC, and the still on-going spat with TWC and Journal Broadcasting Company, never happen again!

Satch

[Jack 1000]

Good article here:

http://allthingsd.com/20130827/the-disequilibrium-of-power-how-retransmission-consent-went-so-wrong-and-how-to-fix-it/?refcat=news#

Jack