US television network Viacom has been given a temporary reprieve from the audience reach limit of 35%, as it waits for its case to be decided in the Court of Appeals.
The group recently pulled out of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) over its support for the limit, which is set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) (see
Viacom Networks Leave NAB Over Audience Limit).
Viacom’s audience reach exceeded the 35% when it acquired CBS Corporation last year. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the Court has granted a temporary exemption from the rule, in the light of the CBS business, until it has completed a review of the reach limit rules.
At the same the Court is hearing cases from other major TV networks, Fox Television and NBC. All three argue that the rules are outdated and no longer make sense in a world of increasing competing media outlets.
The local stations, on the other hand, are protected by the cap and claim that its removal would see their power to negotiate for programmes seriously reduced.
