[Editor’s Note: Bob Primosch is a Partner with the communications law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, Washington, D.C. (rprimosch at wbklaw dot com):
The FCC is considering whether to prevent local television stations from requiring cable operators to carry extra programming services as a quid pro quo for giving retransmission consent. Likewise, the FCC also is considering whether cable networks should be prohibited from ‘tying’ other programming to their channels. This rulemaking remains open, so interested parties may still make their views known to the FCC.