Assemblymember Brindisi Writes to FCC Regarding CBS/Time Warner Impasse

Brindisi tells the FCC Chairwoman it is unfair of CBS to block its website to Time Warner customers

August 13, 2013

(Utica) -- Assemblymember Anthony J. Brindisi (D-Utica) has written to Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, asking her to consider changing the rules governing the retransmission of television programs.

The request comes during a contract impasse between CBS and Time Warner Cable. On August 2nd, CBS withdrew consent for Time-Warner Cable to retransmit the signals of some of its network-owned television stations and network owned cable networks. Brindisi says without a change to the rules governing retransmission consent, more contract impasses and blackouts could occur in the future.

“These rules need to be addressed to provide for continued signal carriage during an impasse, and to make sure negotiations are based on genuine market-based conditions,” Brindisi writes to Clyburn.

At the same time, CBS is blocking broadband Internet service customers from obtaining programming on CBS.com, even in areas where CBS-owned stations are still being retransmitted on cable.

“I find it extremely anti-consumer for CBS to block Internet content to leverage a retransmission consent negotiation,” Brindisi said. “The Commission should do everything possible to bring an end to this very unfair practice.”

Brindisi has asked Clyburn to urge CBS to stop blocking Time Warner customers from viewing content on CBS.com.

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