Today The Hill featured a compelling column by Jess Peterson, who heads the Rural Agricultural Council of American and serves as executive vice president of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association. Peterson writes:
“U.S. ranchers, farmers and residents across rural America depend on reliable and continual access to broadcast television news and programs. Access is critical to maintain connection with not only the greater international and national scope of news and information, but also local and regional news outlets. From weather and agriculture reports to major news and sports, local TV is at home on the range and on the farm.
Members of the US Cattlemen’s Association value broadcast TV and support the efforts by local TV stations to receive fair compensation from the cable and satellite companies. The large cable and satellite companies maintain strong profit margins by packaging free local TV with cable programs and retransmitting it as a component of their paid for TV packages. Like any producer in a supply chain, it makes sense that these local TV stations be properly compensated for their services.”
Read the rest of the op-ed here.
