Under federal rules, there are two ways that local broadcast stations get on cable systems: so-called must carry and retransmission consent.

Known as retransmission consent, the provision would require cable companies to obtain a license from television stations for the right to retransmit their signals.

Television stations could opt out of cable carriage by invoking retransmission consent.

CBS had led the fight against the cable industry on the issue of "retransmission consent."

Such a system has long existed in the United States, under the name of retransmission consent.

The fight to include this "retransmission consent" in the law was led by CBS.

The law gives full-powered stations the option of "retransmission consent" or requesting compensation from cable systems to carry them.

Sinclair announced last week that it expected to almost double the revenue it receives from retransmission consent this year.

If a broadcaster elects retransmission consent, there is no obligation for the cable system to carry the signal.

With retransmission consent, the broadcasters finally saw a way to diminish the cable operators' clout.