What next in the Mediacom v. Sinclair battle?

A lot of people have been wondering why Mediacom can’t just offer another ABC affiliate on its cable system here in the mountains now that WLOS is off the air as a result of the Mediacom/Sinclair standoff.

Loyal reader Mountain Man, who knows what he’s talking about, offers this:

The Mediacom/Sinclair debacle, which is a “tranmission consent” issue has caused quite a problem. Mediacom can provide another ABC station by using the “must carry” rights under FCC law. Only problem is that Mediacom customers in Hendersonville, Franklin and Sylva cannot receive a signal good enough from a surrounding market to sign a “must carry” agreement with a neighboring market.
Meanwhile in McDowell County, Mediacom, if they wanted to, could sign a “must carry” agreement with WSOC TV in Charlotte because McDowell County is considered a shared market area (Asheville-GSP and Charlotte Markets).