Retrans Looking Less Likely As Part Of STELA

The pay TV industry’s effort to include major retransmission consent reform provisions in satellite TV legislation appears iffy at best -- at least according to key congressional staffers.

“We have made it very clear in the House side that STELA [the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act] is not the right place to address retransmission consent reform,” said Grace Koh, a House Commerce Committee staffer.

Also during the same session, Shawn Bone, a top Senate Commerce Committee staffer, said that the committee’s chairman -- Sen Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) -- has previously taken the position that retransmission disputes are between two companies, and should remain that way. “There’s a great deal of reticence -- I think both from Chairman Rockefeller’s perspective and broadly on the Senate Commerce Committee -- from intervening in these disputes,” Bone said, although adding that, “nothing’s off the table.”

Judge Koh also said House GOP committee leaders believe a cable TV industry request to include a reform provision in STELA that would eliminate the must-buy rule should be shifted to a planned multi-year review of the entire Communications Act.