Independent Producers Call for Network, Cable Set-Asides

INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS CALL FOR NETWORK, CABLE SET-ASIDES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
In advance of the Senate Commerce Committee's hearing on media ownership Thursday, independent filmmakers sent a letter to the chair and ranking members of the committee calling for legislators to pressure the Federal Communications Commission into adopting a 75% cap on self-produced programming for both broadcast and cable networks. In its letter, the Independent Film and Television Alliance called the 75% cap modest and argued that independently produced shows like All in the Family and The Cosby Show would be blocked from competing on a level playing field today by "major media conglomerates" favoring their own co-owned production companies. The IFTA pointed out that the percentage of independent productions on the networks has dropped from 50% in 1995 to 18%.
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