“Must Carry” is a Federal law, upheld by SCOTUS. “Must carry” is a privilege granted to the local stations, not the other way around, and stations can charge the cable companies for their content. This story is about a CBS owned station wanting more money that the provider is willing to pay, and the provider cannot replace the CBS content from anywhere else.
“Must carry” prevents the cable company from simply using the signal from a CBS affiliate in another market and piping it into the NY homes. The rule makes sense for the local TV broadcasters in smaller markets. Their advertising revenue would shrink to nothing if their commercials weren’t being seen.
Good explanation. Thanx!