JULIUS GENACHOWSKI
CHAIRMAN
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
February 16, 2012
The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senate
520 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Shaheen:
Thank you for your letter expressing concern about the retransmission consent
negotiations between DIRECTV and Sunbeam Television Corporation. [share your concern for
consumers caught in the middle ofprotracted negotiations. As you know, Commission staff
continually monitored this situation and reached out to the parties for status updates. I am
pleased that the parties were able to reach an agreement.
Commission staffis reviewing the record developed in response to the Commission's
No/ice ofProposed Rulemaking to determine ifproposed changes to its retransmission consent
rules are warranted. The Commission also remains available as a resource ifCongress chooses
to revisit the statutory framework for retransmission consent.
[ appreciate your interest in this matter. Please let me know if [ can be ofany further
assistance.
Sincerely,
•
Julius Genachowski
445 12TH STREET S.W. WASHINGTON. D.C. 20554 • 202-4 I 8-1 000