After Full Channel TV, Inc. refused to increase cable costs for its subscribers in order to pay a 33% increase in retransmission fees to Entravision Communications Corporation for the use of WUNI Univisión 27, Entravisión denied Full Channel the right to broadcast their signal.As of February 18, 2011, Entravisión has forced Full Channel to drop WUNI from its channel lineup.It is unfortunate, and frankly disappointing, that Entravisión would put the interest of their stockholders above those of the community. Our customers deserve better, and we will not allow our subscribers to be extorted by multibillion dollar broadcast groups that then boast to their investors about the massive increases in revenue they are seeing from retransmission fees in small markets like ours, said Linda Jane Maaia, Full Channel president and CEO.Since 1992, the federal government has given television broadcasters like Entravisión the right to grant or deny cable operators use of their signal. The negotiations between cable operators and broadcasters over the price of retransmission are conducted every three years, and often lead to higher fees paid by operators.Our customers want and deserve access to the Univision network and we will continue to work with Entravisión to gain access to the signal. However, we simply refuse to allow our customers to be extorted especially when cable customers in more urban markets do not experience the price increases that smaller markets like ours do, added Maaia.Full Channel is Rhode Islands only local, family-owned cable provider.
