Like other MVPDs, OVD seeking retrans consent deals should be required to negotiate in good faith, the NAB said. In addition, it added, the FCC should allow broadcasters to negotiate for assurances that their signals will not be pirated, watched outside their local markets or “materially degraded.”
While applauding the FCC for recognizing broadcasters retrans rights in the OVD world, the NAB scolded the agency for ignoring other rules that the trade believe should apply to OVDs, including syndex and network non-duplication. Those rules undergird broadcasters’ retrans rights by enforcing stations’ exclusive local rights to syndicated and network programming.
via NAB: Treat OVDs Same As Cable, Satellite | TVNewsCheck.com.