FCC Wants Consumers To Get Refunds For Annoying Cable TV Contract Blackouts

For decades now, cable TV has been plagued by programming contract feuds that routinelyend with users losing access to TV programming they pay for.

Basically, media companies will demand a rate hike in new content negotiations, the cable TV provider will balk, and then each side blames the other guy for failing to strike a new agreement on time like reasonable adults. Content then gets blacked out for months, without consumersevergetting a refund. After a few months, the two sides strike a new confidential deal, your bill goes up, and nobody much cares how that impacts the end user. Wash, rinse, repeat.

For a long time the FCC would occasionally chirp about this, but generally treated these disputes as just boys being boys," and fairly broadly ignored how customers were getting screwed. There's a chance this regulatory position might be finally changing.

The FCC says it's now contemplating new rules requiring that cable and broadcast companies inform the FCC about any blackouts that last longer than 24 hours, and provide potential refunds for users:

Enough with the blackouts," said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. When consumers with
traditional cable and satellite service turn on the screen, they should get what they pay for. It's not right when big companies battle it out and leave viewers without the ability to watch the local news, their favorite show, or the big game. If the screen stays dark, they deserve a
refund."

Granted this is, of course, just a proposal, and a successful implementation will require consistent FCC enforcement, not the agency's strong suit. But it's still a notable improvement for a media regulator that spent the better part of a generation apathetic to consumers routinely being ripped off.