NAFTA: Why this could be the time when retrans fees for U.S. broadcasters come north

U.S. cable comes to the defenceWASHINGTON – Every now and then the spectre of Canadian TV distributors having to pay retransmission fees for their carriage of American off-air TV channels rears its head. Now, thanks to the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it’s rising to the fore once again.Heading into the negotiations, the National Association of Broadcasters (the American broadcasters’ very effective lobby group) made it clear to U.S. trade representatives that they want this new line of revenue from carriers to the north and the south, along with two other key demands.“While technologies and the competitive...