By Steve Donohue, FierceCable, August 12, 2013
| While CBS Corp. insists its blackout on Time Warner Cable | systems in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas has had a minimal | impact on ratings for its primetime programming lineup, Nielsen | data shows that the local newscasts of its stations in TWC | markets have dropped significantly.
[snip]| On Friday, FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn warned that the | commission could take action to help resolve the dispute. | "We will continue to urge all parties to stay and resolve | in good faith this issue as soon as possible. However, I | will affirm to you that I am ready to consider | appropriate action if this dispute continues," Clyburn said.
| But there may be little Clyburn and the FCC can do to end | the blackout of CBS stations and Showtime Networks, which | began on Aug. 2. The 1992 Cable Act prevents the FCC from | interceding in retransmission-consent disputes, and the | commission may not be able to force TWC to restore CBS | programming until a new law is passed by Congress.
Continued:
Or until Congress repeals the law that created this situation in the first place: the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992.
Neal McLain