Dish will likely get H-block spectrum
Weeks after withdrawing a $2.2 billion bid to buy bankrupt LightSquared and its 4G spectrum, Charlie Ergen is
Nexstar Q4 up 19%
Nexstar Broadcasting Group Q4 net revenue was $138.1 million, up 18.9% from $116.2 million in Q4 2012. The increase was driven by
Cable companies urge Program Access Rules update
In a letter to FCC Chairman Wheeler filed 2/25, executives from 53 companies -- including
Networks file Aereo brief with SCOTUS
A brief filed 2/24 by networks including ABC, PBS, CBS, NBC and Fox, asks the Supreme Court to
ACA files ex parte on coordinated retrans consent deals
The American Cable Association has told the FCC in an ex parte filing
Aereo announces Austin launch date
Aereo says its streaming broadcast/DVR technology will launch in the Greater Austin area on March 3. Greater Austin is Aereo’s 4th market to launch in Texas and includes a 12-county area.
Dish’s Ergen: Comcast-TWC merger a “seismic shift”
Both Dish Network and DirecTV used their Q4 earnings calls to comment on Comcast's merger proposal with
Comcast, Netflix work deal for improved internet speed
Comcast customers are about to get improved streaming service from Netflix after the two
Weekend Adventure steals top spot with 13+M viewers
Weekend Adventure (ABC Syndication) stole the top spot from Wheel of Fortune with 13+ million viewers for the week of February 3-9. The weekly...
DOJ to FCC: crack down on JSAs, SSAs
The DOJ's Antitrust Division filed an ex parte report 2/21 with the FCC, urging the agency to crack down on joint sales agreements (JSAs), shared services agreements (SSAs), and local news service (LNS) agreements that local TV stations use to share costs. The division warned that those arrangements are undermining the FCC's media-ownership restrictions, which are “intended to promote diverse views in the media.”
ATBA files extensions request for LPTV stations
The Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance (ATBA) recently filed Comments with
Buckeye amends Sinclair complaint
Since 12/19, more than 100,000 Buckeye Cablevision subscribers have endured Sinclair’s blackout of WWNO-TV (NBC) in Toledo, OH. So, on 2/18 Buckeye filed a bad faith complaint at the FCC. Buckeye says it isn’t asking for the Commission to dictate an outcome or even mandate that Sinclair accept a ratings-based approach. They just want them to force Sinclair to get back to the negotiating table; stop demanding that they carry those future cable networks; and consider the competitive marketplace in the talks. Buckeye amended its complaint 2/21 to note that Sinclair has made a:
What the Utah Court ruling against Aereo means
Here’s an analysis by Stifel Nicolaus analysts David Kaut and Christopher King regarding the preliminary
ABC argues appeal on Dish decision
Attorneys for ABC Inc. urged the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 2/20 to reverse a lower judge and
Growth in cable vertical integration requires FCC response
A familiar and troubling situation is re-emerging in the pay-TV industry. It’s called vertical integration – an economic term that can be applied to situations where one company controls both cable systems with millions of customers and valuable cable programming with large viewership appeal. A company that controls cable distribution facilities and content properties is uniquely able to engage in unfair practices, such as charging rival pay-TV distributors much more for its programming than it charges itself, or withholding content from online video distributors (OVDs). A recent trend toward vertical re-integration has emerged within the cable industry, and it requires policymakers’ immediate attention, particularly given Comcast’s $45.2 billion deal to buy Time Warner Cable.