FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is floating a proposal that would require rebates to multichannel subscribers in the event of a blackout or broadcast stations.
Her proposal comes after the recent high-profile standoff between The Walt Disney Co. and Charter Communications, which left ABC-owned stations, ESPN and other cable networks dark for about a week and a half on Spectrum cable systems.
If adopted by the five-member commission, the proposal would then go to public comment period before a final vote. It would “require cable and satellite providers to issue rebates to subscribers in the event of a blackout doe to a failure to reach a retransmission consent agreement with broadcast” station group owners.
Rosenworcel also outlined a proposal that would require cable and satellite companies to notify the FCC via an online public portal when there is a “blackout of 24 hours or more of broadcast programming due to a failure to reach a retransmission consent agreement.” In a statement, Rosenworcel said, “Enough with the blackouts.
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