Robin Flynn

This year alone, NBC will make $200 million from retransmission consent fees from cable, telco and satellite carriers. Retrans money has become hugely important to the TV networks as ratings decline and ad dollars level off. Robin Flynn, senior analyst at SNL Kagan, talks about how broadcast retrans fees originated, why they’re growing, and how Aereo fits into all of it.

Fox network distribution chief Mike Hopkins says his network hopes it “can get through the [affiliate negotiation] process and get deals done with everybody we have today.” But, as it’s shown recently, it will switch affiliation if it can’t reach a deal. He added that the network’s demands on its affiliates stem from the realization that the “value equation” between network and affiliate had shifted and the network had wound up on the short end.