Media General, Mediacom Blaming Each Other for Blackout
Mediacom and Media General are pointing the fingers at each other regarding a blackout in 14 markets. A retransmission consent agreement between the two expired Tuesday. In a letter Mediacom said it sent out Wednesday to customers in affected areas,…
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the cable company said the negotiations broke down when Media General wanted retrans fees more than double what it had been paid under the previous three-year agreement, which would in turn lead to other broadcasters following suit. Mediacom also reiterated arguments CEO Rocco Commisso made in a letter to the FCC earlier this month calling for restrictions on broadcasters from imposing blackouts (see 1507070061). Media General said Mediacom apparently deliberately created the blackout situation to try to force regulation of the retrans market -- an increasingly common charge from the broadcast industry (see 1507140021). "Instead of looking out for the best interest of their subscribers, they have created this dispute to draw more attention to their legislative agenda," Richard Levine, Media General head of distribution, said in an emailed statement. "As predicted, they are now resorting to PR scare tactics and making claims concerning price increases that have no basis in fact. We hope Mediacom will put in as much effort into reaching an agreement with us as they are into posturing for reform." The 14 affected markets are Birmingham, Alabama; Davenport, Iowa/Rock Island, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Michigan; Green Bay-Appleton, Wisconsin; Mason City, Iowa; Mobile, Alabama/Pensacola, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Virginia; San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, California; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Terre Haute, Indiana; Topeka, Kansas; and Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas.