Comcast's (Nasdaq: CMCSA) NBC broadcast group has offered to handle network retransmission consent negotiations with pay TV providers like, well, Comcast, for its affiliates if they want. Those affiliates that opt in would agree to have the parent network handle the negotiations by "proxy" in what NBC affiliates board chairman Brian Lawlor called a "brand new kind of deal" that "completely changes the network-affiliate model."
It's certainly different than the deal that News Corp.'s (Nasdaq: NWSA) Fox Networks has going where hardball slinging Fox is demanding a bigger cut of affiliate retrans fees and is willing to slice the umbilical with some affils to prove its point.
In other retransmission news, Univision and Full channel TV have agreed to a new deal, putting Univision's Spanish language broadcasts back on the family owned Rhode Island system. Full Channel has been in a dispute since Feb. 18 with Spanish languaged channel WUNI, remains blacked out. The new agreement covers WUNI's parent broadcaster, Univision, but not that local channel. Full Channel President-CEO Linda Jane Maaia, while agreeing she is pleased to to have Univision back on the service lineup, but not pleased with the overall retransmission process, the rules of which are "very flawed and unbalanced."
For more:
- Broadcasting & Cable has this story
- and this news release
Special Report: Retransmission consent fees: Broadcasters want more from everyone
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Comcast CEO: We can help smooth retrans waters, once we get NBCU deal OK
The price is wrong: Full Channel TV shuts off Univision
Fox demands to affiliate stations point to retransmission fee share increase