Oh Canada! Retransmission impasse dooms lobby group

A vicious dispute between cable operators and television broadcasters over retransmission is forcing the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) to shut down and probably reform as a radio-only organization.

CAB, formed in 1926, just can't seem to bring peace among its television and cable members over demands from broadcasters for a fee to carry signals on satellite and cable systems.

Broadcasters maintain that they need money from retransmission or local programming will have to be reduced. Cable and satellite operators call the fee a tax. Even nastier, the cablecos claim that broadcasters are using their news outlets to provide biased coverage of the issue.

For more:
- see this story

Related articles
Canadian regulators: Cablecos should pay for using broadcasters' signals
Verizon to pay CBS for shows run on IPTV
Bell Canada, ExtendMedia take TV 'Anywhere' - FierceIPTV