TV Viewers Endured Record Number of Blackouts in 2015

Television viewers around the country endured a record 193 blackouts in 2015, up from 94 the previous year and eight in 2010, due to an intensifying battle between cable companies and the broadcasters who provide a key part of their programming.

Already so far in 2016, at least 13 new blackouts have occurred in markets from across the country, according to pay-TV carriers and their allies. Many of the interruptions are brief, lasting perhaps a day, but they are enough to disrupt programming and often infuriate viewers, and some last much longer. Even more bickering likely lies ahead. Some experts fear the blackout problem will become more prominent in the run-up to marquee TV events such as the Super Bowl, set for Feb. 7 on CBS, and the Oscars, Feb. 28 on ABC. The Federal Communications Commission is examining steps it can take to rein in the problem. The FCC is expected to announce new rules this year for refereeing the increasingly prominent disputes between broadcasters, such as NBC or CBS, and pay-TV providers, meaning cable, satellite and other subscription carriers. But the agency appears hamstrung by limited legal authority, and broadcasters are lobbying against major changes. Broadcasters have been reluctant to give up the leverage that comes from the power to withhold their programming. A number of observers predict that any tightening of FCC oversight of the negotiations ultimately will be modest, and further blackouts appear likely in coming months.