1 4 , ▁Com cast ▁also ▁charges ▁a ▁Broadcast ▁TV ▁F ee ▁to ▁" def ray ▁the ▁rising ▁costs ▁of ▁re trans m itting ▁broadcast ▁television ▁signals ." ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Com cast ▁soft ▁launched ▁X 1 ▁( c oden amed ▁" X cal ib ur "), ▁a ▁new ▁hardware ▁and ▁software ▁platform ▁for ▁its ▁television ▁services , ▁in ▁Boston . ▁It ▁provides ▁more ▁extensive ▁support ▁for ▁integrated ▁internet ▁content , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁apps ▁for ▁video ▁streaming ▁services , ▁and ▁a ▁remote ▁control ▁that ▁accepts ▁voice ▁recognition ▁input . ▁It ▁was ▁scheduled ▁for ▁a ▁wider , ▁nation wide ▁avail ability ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁Ret r ans mission ▁fe es ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 0 0 s , ▁television ▁stations ▁increasing ly ▁required ▁cable ▁companies ▁like ▁Com cast ▁to ▁pay ▁re trans mission ▁fe es ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁permission ▁to ▁broadcast ▁their ▁content . ▁( H istor ically , ▁TV ▁broad c aster s ▁made ▁money ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁through ▁advert ising .) ▁These ▁fe es ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁he ated ▁neg ot iation ▁between ▁broad c aster s ▁and ▁distrib utors , ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁high - profile ▁black outs ▁prompt ing ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ▁to ▁public ly ▁express ▁serious ▁concern ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁Com cast ▁has ▁ten ▁year ▁agre ements ▁with ▁CBS ▁and ▁Disney , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁de als ▁with