Chairman Julius Genachowski
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W., Room 8-B201
Washington, D.C. 20554
Re: Mediacom v. Sinclair Retransmission Consent Dispute
Dear Chairman Genachowski,
I am concerned that Sinclair Broadcast Group is threatening to withhold our local ABC news affiliate, WEAR -TV3 signal, from cable customers in my area beginning January 1, 2010. This threat will be carried out unless Mediacom agrees to Sinclair’s demand for a 50% increase over what they paid in 2009. WEAR is the only Florida-based news source in our area since all other TV stations are based in Mobile, Alabama, about 60 miles away. I understand that Mediacom has filed an FCC complaint asserting that Sinclair has not been negotiating in good faith as required by law. They have asked the FCC to order Sinclair to allow Mediacom to continue providing consumers with access to these stations on an interim basis until this dispute is resolved.
I strongly urge the FCC to require Sinclair to grant Mediacom temporary consent to continue carrying this station so as to minimize the disruption that our consumers will otherwise incur through no fault of their own. I am very concerned that the FCC may not act on this matter before the January 1st deadline.
This dispute between Sinclair and Mediacom is threatening to harm our consumers, many of whom cannot receive a good signal for this station over-the-air due to the digital transition. Mediacom customers did not purchase a digital converter box due to continuing their service with Mediacom. In an area of the country with a high poverty rate, providing such short notice of a need to purchase a digital converter to watch the local news will impose a financial burden following the Christmas season. I urge you to insure that my neighbors continue to have access to this programming while this dispute is being considered by the FCC. This could pose a public safety threat to my neighbors if they do not have access to the local news.
Thank you for your consideration of this important issue.
Best Regards,
Dave Murzin
State Representative, House District 2