Saturday, October 22, 2005

Magazine: Nexstar is the big winner


"Nexstar wins retransmission battle with Cox Communications"
That is how Radio and Television Business Report started its article on the announcement of a deal between Nexstar Broadcasting and Cox.
The article credited Nexstar CEO Perry Sook, pictured, with "standing firm."
Nexstar chief operating officer Duane Lammers said, "Doing what we did has at least caused the cable people to think of different ways to get things done."
I am still thinking this agreement has more to do with the cable company taking whatever digital stations Nexstar and Mission create in coming years. Cable companies have been fighting efforts to make them carry these stations.
The magazine editors offered the following commentary on the agreement:
"No doubt hundreds of other TV owners and managers will be calling Sook and Lammers with thanks and congratulations - - and advice on how to go forward with their own retransmission consent negotiations. They took a big risk by deciding to become the industry's guinea pig - - and it has paid off. Most other TV companies have at least some of their retransmission consent agreements coming up for renegotiation in 2006. For those who don't have a cable card to play, which will soon include CBS, the rules of the game have been changed."

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