You May Not Be Able to Watch Your Holiday Favorites This Season

It's Christmas Eve in Montana. You turn on your TV for a time-honored viewing of It's A Wonderful Life. But you can't find the Christmas classic, or even the NBC affiliate that's supposed to be carrying it. Or perhaps you're in North Carolina, hoping to watch some NBA basketball after the Christmas feast. Or northern California, settling in to watch your 49ers finish out the regular season. And you can't.

For viewers in eight media markets, TV blackouts are coming at an unfortunate time. The real Grinch, according to cable and satellite advocates, is broadcast conglomerates trying to steal consumers' money by hiking up prices to carry their stations. Sorry, Scrooge, broadcasters respond, but you're to blame for your unwillingness to pay a fair amount for our service. Read more...