It could be the start of open season on retrans negotiations as FCC  Chairman Julius Genachowski told a Senate hearing that the topic is under "active consideration" at the Commission.  Genachowski expressed special concern over consumers receiving just one or two day notices of potentially lost signals.

Stifel Nicolaus analysts Rebecca Arbogast and David Kaut note:  "Mr. Genachowski seems willing to consider taking steps to ensure that industry parties give viewers greater notice of possible signal shutdowns. We wouldn't be surprised if the FCC has some interest in going further and exploring a possible dispute-resolution mechanism, such as arbitration, and/or providing some sort of interim carriage in certain situations."

Don't expect fast developments, however.  (This is D.C. we're talking about.)  Write the analysts, "We don't believe Congress is ready to legislate on retransmission consent, and we doubt the FCC is going to rush to complete a rulemaking, but we do believe that broadcasters are facing increased scrutiny from policymakers, complicating their position."

Just how complicated (or not) will likely come to light at the end of August as the Time Warner Cable/Disney agreement expires.

In other retrans news, broadcasters are crying "free market!" as NAB Chairman Paul Karpowicz says the FCC and Congress should let free markets rule.  Writes Karpowicz:  "The retransmission consent rules do not guarantee any compensation.  Rather, the rules only provide an opportunity for the broadcaster to negotiate for compensation for the use of its signal."  In short, it's working for us ... so back off.

DISH, though, was quick to "applaud" the Chairman stating, "Contrary to broadcaster assertions, retransmission consent increasingly resembles a hostage situation, not a free market negotiation.” •

As if you didn't already have enough battles to worry about, here's a heads up for cable and telco execs who have been crowing over the value of – and their commensurate ability to raise prices on – high speed internet service....  FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn has fired a shot across the price-hike bow with a public statement noting:  "When prices rise across the industry, and where there are only a limited number of players in the game, we have to ask ourselves whether there is any meaningful competition in the marketplace.  Moreover, when executives from major broadband providers indicate that they will only roll out faster speeds in the few markets where they have competition, our fears about whether meaningful competition exists should grow."

Of course, one commissioner does not a policy make.  But a recent study from the Social Science Research Council (commissioned by the FCC) concludes that pricing is a major factor keeping low-income Americans from joining the connected community.  Says the study:  " 99% of our non-adopter respondents described cost as a barrier.  Recent FCC research (Horrigan 2010) finds that the average monthly cost of broadband is $40.68, representing an annual investment of nearly $500 before set-up costs, equipment, or maintenance fees.

"Respondents were acutely aware that monthly fees are only part of the overall cost of connectivity..... Among the un-adopters in our respondent pool, unanticipated costs in these categories were often cited as reasons for dropping broadband at home."

To be sure, the SSRC study was quite small, drawing primarily on interviews with 171 "community members and intermediaries" in Philadelphia, Albuquerque, upstate New York, and Minneapolis-St. Paul in late 2009 and early 2010.  But it certainly isn't alone in drawing the connection between price and adoption.  Put this next to recent announcements of broadband price hikes and it should raise any number of warning signs for today's broadband providers.  (To get the complete study, click here.)•

• Must Read: Bloomberg's BusinessWeek tackles the platform providers' "tv everywhere" model in "Revenge of the Cable Guys" at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_12/b4171038593210.htm?chan=magazine+channel_top+stories.

• AT&T App & Bragging Rights:  AT&T U-verse has introduced an app allowing customers to track their personalized college basketball tournament bracket with results showing up on their TV screens.  The app is free to all subs starting Monday, March 15.  In other AT&T news, the co has official U-verse bragging rights via the Frost & Sullivan 2009 Video Company of the Year Award.

• Media Finance Keynote:  Media Finance Focus 2010 will feature a keynote from the FCC's Steven Walkman, senior advisor the the Chairman.  In addition to his senior advisor role, Waldman leads the FCC's initiative  to assess the current state of media and make recommendations for the future.  The Media Finance Conference runs May 23-25 at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville.  Waldman's address is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 25.  For more information on the conference, click here.

• Rupert's Woes:  Could it really be that Rupert Murdoch just doesn't get it with new media?  Such would be the implication of several recent events including the latest suggestions that News Corp. may jettison its Fox Mobile Group, including the Jamba and Jamster brands.  Says the Financial Times, that would let News Corp. concentrate on its MySpace business which, of course, has been doing sooo well lately that it, too, is rumored to be for sale.

• Programming Deals:  Showtime has a new deal with DreamWorks, calling for up to 35 movies across the 2010-2015.  Meanwhile, Disney and Starz have re-upped their output deal for another three years. 

• Addressable Ads:  Fox Cable has teamed with BlackArrow to test addressable advertising to viewers in multiple cable markets. The tests, using the BlackArrow Sales Suite, will on VOD versions of FX, National Geographic Channel and SPEED.

• Business Win:  Cox Business has snared a contract from the Virginia Information Technologies Agency for internet services in selected speed tiers and ZIP codes.•