OPEN MIKE BY TOM MEEK
Data And Persistence Made Retrans Possible
After a decade of networks mainly negotiating for additional new cable channels, in 2005 broadcasters finally began to monetize their cable carriage on a regular basis. That revenue is fair in a marketplace where cable programmers have obtained ever-increasing fees for carriage, while top broadcast stations consistently deliver higher ratings in cable homes than most cable programs. Here’s some of the backstory of how that momentous change came to be.
