Setting the Record Straight for the FCC on Retrans – Nearly 40 Blackouts in 2011, More than a Dozen This Year

WASHINGTON D.C.  March 15, 2012 – Yesterday, FCC Commissioner Julius Genachowski said the Commission was “pleased that the number of blackouts and serious instances of consumer disruption were minimal” in the latest retrans negotiations.  In the spirit of  providing what the Chairman called “the record that we need” to “do the right thing,”  ATVA notes that broadcasters pulled the plug on viewers in nearly forty markets in 2011 and fourteen more already this year (including Boston and Miami). We urge the FCC to do the right thing on retransmission consent and change outdated rules to protect viewers.

The American Television Alliance (ATVA) brings together an unprecedented coalition of consumer groups, cable, satellite, telephone companies, and independent programmers to raise awareness about the risk viewers face as broadcasters increasingly threaten service disruptions that would deny viewers access to the programs they and their families enjoy.