Definition: must-carry

Government regulations that cable and satellite TV providers "must carry" local TV stations as part of their offerings. First enacted in the U.S. in the early 1990s, a local TV station may also choose to negotiate a fee from the cable/satellite company, known as "retransmission consent." If the station elects this method and does not reach an agreement, the cable/satellite company can refuse carriage. Every three years, the local stations must decide which approach they are going to take.