Retransmission Consent Disputes
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, January 4, 2010 · 
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As 2009 drew to a close, there were a number of high-profile retransmission consent disputes between pay-TV companies and television distribution companies.
Time Warner Cable (TWC) and News Corp. engaged in a very public fee disagreement. TWC ran an ad campaign urging its customers to support the company’s efforts to “get tough” on rate increases from broadcasters. But the dust has now settled and an agreement has been reached.
Although the terms of the deal were not disclosed, it’s been widely publicized that contract negotiations had been deadlocked over a $1 monthly per-subscriber fee that News Corp. had demanded for its Fox Broadcasting network, which is free for viewers with over-the-air antennas.
In related news, cable operator Mediacom reached a temporary truce with Sinclair Broadcasting last Thursday. The companies agreed to extend their retransmission-consent pact until midnight Friday, January 8. The success of their negotiations affects the potential availability of more than 20 TV stations in 12 markets.
The New York Times has a great piece on retransmission consent and the current pricing model.
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