American Television Alliance Releases Statement on FCC Proposals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Television Alliance (ATVA) issued a statement in response to the Federal Communications Commissions’ (FCC) proposal seeking comments on rebates for consumers and notifications to the Commission of blackouts lasting more than 24 hours.

“Every blackout—every single one—is caused by the same thing:  broadcasters want consumers to pay higher prices. We appreciate the Commission’s acknowledgement that blackouts are a problem. However, we’d like to see the focus on the broadcasters – who increased retransmission consent fees from $200 million in 2006 to $11.7 billion in 2019, an unbelievable 5,359% – rather than just on the companies that are negotiating to keep prices down for their customers.  We look forward to working with the Commission to advance proposals that ensure broadcasters carry out their public interest obligations so that blackouts can be avoided all together,” said ATVA spokesperson Cora Mandy.

To learn more about outdated broadcast regulations and their impact on the American consumer, visit https://americantelevisionalliance.org/about-the-issue/.