Mediacom's Commisso Asks Wheeler To Restrict Blackouts
Retransmission consent costs have increased by $3 billion per year since FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler took office, said pay-TV company Mediacom CEO Rocco Commisso in a letter to Wheeler filed with the FCC Tuesday. That is a larger increase “than…
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in any similar period since retransmission consent was created in 1992,” Commisso said. Mediacom also filed a petition Tuesday asking the FCC to adopt rules preventing local broadcasters from imposing blackouts unless the stations' signal is available for free over-the-air or via Internet streaming to 90 percent of the homes in the relevant market. “The reality is that millions of Americans cannot receive a quality off-air signal,” Commisso said in a news release. “Our new petition does nothing more than ask the FCC to ensure that broadcasters keep their part of the bargain and further the congressional goal of promoting universal availability of free broadcast television.” The American Television Alliance applauded the Mediacom filings in an emailed statement. “Mediacom's letter and FCC petition make a very strong case for the FCC to act to prevent consumers from being harmed by the broadcast industry's brass-knuckle tactics,” ATVA said. “It takes a lot of nerve on Mediacom's part to file such a self-serving petition to 'fix' retransmission consent without acknowledging its own legacy of abusive treatment of consumers.” said broadcaster advocates TV Freedom in an email. “Mediacom tied for dead last with ATVA member Time Warner Cable as the worst pay-TV company. So maybe Mediacom and ATVA should look in the mirror if they are truly concerned with the plight of consumers,” TV Freedom said.