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: The Trade Secrets Vault

Cover Story: 'Hammer' Time

By Linda Moss How One Consultant Extracts Cold Cash From Cable Ops In Retransmission-Consent Battle Lammers is a big player in the high-stakes battle between broadcasters and cable operators across the nation as, under federal law, thousands of retransmission-consent deals are set to expire Dec. 31. At the core of the debate is this simple question: How much should the signals of free, over-the-air broadcasts be valued? Cable operators say prices will ultimately increase for consumers. In court documents, Nexstar argued that Lammers had been privy to its "trade secrets" regarding retransmission-consent negotiations. "The only 'negotiation strategy' I was ever aware of was quite simple: To cut the best deal possible," Lammers said in his affidavit. "I successfully negotiated many retransmission contracts for Nexstar. My success was the product of shrewd bargaining skills, tough negotiating tactics, and a healthy dose of common sense. There was nothing secret, confidential or magic about it." To continue reading this interesting article from Multichannel News click here.

Full post as published by The Trade Secrets Vault on November 30, 2008 (boomark / email).