Recently, broadcasters have filed complaints with the FCC alleging that certain cable operators are carrying broadcast signals without permission from the broadcaster. In one case, the FCC imposed forfeitures totaling $30,000 against a small operator for unauthorized retransmission of two broadcast signals. These cases serve as a reminder that under the Communications Act and FCC rules, cable operators may not carry a broadcast signal without the broadcaster’s written consent, unless carried pursuant to the “must carry” rules.  As these recent cases demonstrate, carrying the broadcast signals without the appropriate retransmission consent authority can result in steep penalties. 

If you have any questions about your system’s authority to carry broadcast signals, or the retransmission consent rules in general, please contact Scott Friedman, Adriana Kissel, or Jake Baldwin at (312) 372-3930 or sfriedman@cm-chi.com, akissel@cm-chi.com, or jbaldwin@cm-chi.com.