Cautious Clyburn agrees retrans rules may need to be tweaked

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn offered a tacit, regulator-speak agreement with the ACA's position that retransmission consent rules are antiquated and need to be reformed.

Speaking during a brief address to the ACA Summit in Washington, Clyburn said the FCC is "attempting to tweak the retrans consent regime with the powers we have" under Congressional authority. "I fully understand the intent of the retrans rules" which were first written in 1992. The ACA contends those rules are  out of step with modern cable-broadcaster dealings and favor the broadcasters.

"If the market isn't working, we need to consider alternative steps," Clyburn said.

Clyburn also supported the idea of expanding broadband into underserved and unserved areas. "Rural residents deserve high-speed broadband," she said, calling the service "ever-more essential" in the changing economy.

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