On Tuesday, the House passed the Television Viewer Protection Act and the Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act of 2019, which contain satellite TV-related provisions. The Senate is expected to pass the same provisions no later than tomorrow. The following may be attributed to Jim Cicconi, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President of External & Legislative Affairs:
In recent years, one of the biggest cost issues affecting the escalating TV bills of American consumers has been the massive increases they’ve been forced to pay in order to receive local broadcast television, television that is available over-the-air for free. Since 2006, retransmission fees charged by local broadcasters have skyrocketed from $200 million to $11.7 billion in 2019 – an increase of more than 5,000%, nearly all of which has been passed on to consumers in the form of higher bills. Rather than address this problem, Congress has instead bowed to further demands from broadcasters to eliminate a law called STELAR, removing hundreds of thousands of consumers’ access to broadcast channels they receive today. Make no mistake, when the screens of those consumers go dark, the sole reason will be that Congress did not act to protect them.
This most recent example of broadcaster exploitation and overreach underscores the urgent need for Congress to address the issue of retransmission fees and their negative impact on consumer wallets. If the broadcasters truly want to debate, and to justify such predation based on the principle of free market economics, we are prepared. But all issues should be on the table. That includes the grant of free spectrum from the public given to local broadcasters for one purpose and now used for another. It should also include the grant of monopoly rights for local broadcasters in specific geographic areas – hardly consistent with any concept of a free market.
But one thing is made crystal clear by this latest development – the current system of dramatic rate increases imposed by local broadcasters and passed through on consumer bills must be addressed and must be reformed.
Quit cheating the American consumer of access to entertainment television.
Kinda simple. Allow subscribers to opt-out of local broadcasters with the appropriate rate reduction for the consumer.
This either gets fixed or I’m switching to DISH. I cannot get local channels anyways and have been considering the switch. It seems like if I can see local on DISH I should be able to on DirectV. I’ll give it 24 hours.
I had those channels for about 20 yrs. I was told I was grandfathered and would not lose them. give me back the right to choose what I want!
Not being able receive the channels I have had for 26 years really makes me mad. Have congress renew the stellar law. Why does the little guy always get the shaft? I want to receive both East and west coast feeds.
I have paid a fortune to have this privilege. If taken away I can now shop for better service for lots less money . I was told it was grandfathered in a I was one of the lucky ones. We enjoy this but I will enjoy some new equipment that Dish offers
A change in law prohibits DIRECTV from legally providing out-of-market broadcast network stations. We objected to this change, but broadcast station owners retain exclusive control over who can receive their content locally. We recently reached agreements with almost all of the major networks to minimize disruptions for as many customers as possible.
No advantage to stay with AT&T anymore…………..
We live up here literally in the Middle of nowhere. We have no local channels. We miss getting the networks, CBS, NBC, ABC. But I guess this just show the only care about their big bottomless pockets. I guess maybe this will get many of us to realize we can live without them.
Recently found out I lost my east coast channels that I have had over 20 years. This was the only reason I have stayed with DTV all this time. Not once in 20 years have I ever missed a payment or ever been late but I guess they no longer care about keeping great customers. The channels were still there yesterday but as soon as they came and replaced my receiver they are now gone. I will now be looking for different TV service
I have been receiving the stations from the eastern and western markets for over 25 years . I feel that I have the right to purchase any channels I want to not Congress.The only reasons I stayed with Direct was because of those stations. I will be talking to dish about what they can offer me as a customer.
Please I am willing to pay extra for these channels. I have had them 23 years and paid for them. I want them back. why during a pandemic and everyone at home do you take them away MAKES NO SENSE!
All stations should be able to share markets. There is hardly any local marketing anyway. This conflicts with free press.
As with many others I have been receiving the stations from the eastern and western markets for over 25 years. And I was told it was grandfathered in.
It’s hard to justify a charge for local HD over AT&T when it’s free locally from Canada.
Local channels repeat news and are limited. If this is a effort to block news feeds, or force local advertisement watching. It didn’t work. Now I’m forced to watch Canadian news. And advertising from a different country!
I have had these channels for over 20 years and have not minded paying for them each month. I do not understand why we cannot keep them.
I have been receiving these stations from the eastern and western markets for over 27 years, when it was Primestar, I’ve been a customer with Directv ever since . I feel that I have the right to purchase any channels I want, not Congress. As much as we pay for TV and then you all take the only stations I watched. I’m like the others, this was the only reason I stayed with Directv . I will be talking to Dish about what they can offer me as a customer. From what they’ve already told me, they are cheaper and I CAN get local channels and Directv said I couldn’t with them.
VERY DISSAPOINTED!!!
It really saddens me to be a long time DirecTV customer and now have to make a decision to give up my DirecTV strictly because nexstar media and Daystar broadcasting.I totally disagree with next star editing and changing the contents of the original movie reality documentary. Nexstar media removes all the Violet language and the violence from its contents before showing it to the audience and as a viewer I would like to see the movie as the director wanted the viewers to see it!!! last year I didn’t understand why DirecTV lost so many customers but now I understand so I totally disagree with next star and Daystar editing.