Money for Broadcast Signals

If retranmission consent is to remain law and not be used as by broadcasters a means to force carriage of untested new cable channels, then negotiating for money may be the the most appropriate and best means of valuing the right to carry copyrighted programming.

The impact for cable networks not affiliated with broadcasters may be that a financial squeeze from retrans will cause cable operators to press those non-affiliated cable channels for lower license fees and more launch fees.

Achieving balance here is a mix of Newtonian Laws and unintended consequences of regulations. The related article on program exclusivity in an increasingly competitive video marketplace also presents potential problems for some networks who need as many means of distribution as possible to build brand and achieve audience for advertisers.

A three or four dimensional chess game, indeed.


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