WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the publication on Thursday in the Federal Register of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would establish a regulatory policy imposing mandatory refunds for MVPD customers unable to view broadcast TV channels due to a retransmission consent impasse, the Media Bureau of the FCC has established a comment period certainly of interest to the NAB, ACA Connects, the pro-cable TV group ATVA and broadcast TV station owners.
The FCC on January 17 released a NPRM seeking comment on “whether to require cable operators and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) providers to give their subscribers rebates when those subscribers are deprived of video programming they expect to receive during programming blackouts that result from failed retransmission consent negotiations or failed non-broadcast carriage negotiations.”
The Commission set deadlines for filing comments and reply comments in response to the NPRM at 30 and 60 days, respectively, after publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register.
With a summary appearing Thursday:
- comments will be due on or before March 8
- reply comments will be due on or before April 8
Commenters should follow the filing instructions provided in the NPRM.
