@pluralistic (Sorry for the late reply, only just saw this).
Whether "must pay" triggers boycotts depends on it's structure. If you charge companies regardless of whether they remove news, it's no longer boycottable. It doesn't have to lead to 'must carry', that's an avoidable policy choice
Regarding CC: My point is not that they're currently CC, but that existing law would allow for reclassifying them in the future, and 1A wouldn't save them. 1A is not a reliable defense against it