WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In response to the letter from Mediacom's Rocco Commisso to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski regarding retransmission consent, NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton issued the following statement:
"Mediacom's sudden conversion to consumer advocate strains the bounds of credibility. For years, cable operators have hiked subscription fees more than double the annual rate of inflation, yet programming costs account for only a fraction of their expenses. The truth is that retransmission consent fees account for only two-tenths of one percent of cable revenues today, and according to a recent study, analysts predict they will never rise above one percent.
"Broadcasters are committed to negotiating fair carriage rights reflective of the value of our most-watched programming, the proceeds of which will allow local stations to continue delivering high-quality entertainment, news, sports and lifeline weather alerts that serve our diverse communities."
RISING RATES
|
Cable
Rate Increase*
|
Rate
of Inflation**
|
|
| 1999 |
4.0%
|
2.2%
|
| 2000 |
5.0%
|
3.4%
|
| 2001 |
8.2%
|
2.8%
|
| 2002 |
5.6%
|
1.6%
|
| 2003 |
5.4%
|
2.3%
|
| 2004 |
4.2%
|
2.7%
|
| 2005 |
3.9%
|
3.4%
|
| 2006 |
3.9%
|
3.2%
|
| 2007 |
3.8%
|
2.8%
|
| 2008 |
3.7%
|
3.8%
|
| 2009 |
4.2%
|
-0.4%
|
| 2010 |
3.8%
|
1.6%
|
Sources:
* SNL Kagan. Percent change is based on the weighted
average rate. ** Bureau of Labor statistics
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