FCC Chair Tom Wheeler has announced his resignation effective upon Donald Trump’s inauguration. The President-elect has not yet announced his choice to replace Wheeler, but it’s a safe bet that the new Republican majority on the Commission will encourage a more freewheeling regulatory climate.
This blog has followed closely Wheeler’s efforts to force cable operators
The FCC proposal to deregulate cable and satellite television set-top boxes is facing heavy headwinds as powerful interests line up in opposition. The current proposal is itself a compromise to its original proposal to require providers to give access to their information streams to other set-top box makers. In response to powerful opposition, the proposal
Continuing the process that began earlier this year, FCC Chair Tom Wheeler has issued a proposal to the Commission to implement the deregulation of cable set-top boxes.
Wheeler’s proposal will require cable and satellite system operators (MSOs) to offer subscribers access to their services by means of a free app. Consumers could keep their
The battle lines are hardening in the controversy over the FCC’s proposal to deregulate cable set-top boxes.
The US Copyright Office recently weighed in against the proposal, on the grounds that it would undermine the ability of cable multi-system operators (MSOs) to enter into stable license agreements with copyright owners. This, the Copyright Office declared,
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called on FCC Chair Tom Wheeler to reconsider his proposal to unlock cable and satellite set-top boxes
. McConnell cited concerns over copyright, consumer costs and the impact on cable providers and customers in rural areas.
This is a further escalation of the broad opposition to the plan from
I’ve blogged previously on the push by FCC chair Tom Wheeler to compel cable and satellite provid
ers to permit consumers to use third-party set top boxes. Despite opposition from across the political spectrum, Wheeler is sticking to his guns to get the regulations passed before his tenure ends, which will likely be after the
The FCC’s announced intention to deregulate cable set-top boxes has sparked a debate on the effect such a change might have on programs targeting minority groups.
Many of the advocacy organizations for diversity in programming are opposing the change. They foresee that universal set-top
On February 18, the FCC opened a rulemaking process to deregulate the cable set top box. Currently, cable, satellite and telco multi-system operators (MSOs) require subscribers to use only boxes they furnish. These are generally rented to subscribers at an average cost per household of $231 per year. The proposed regulations would permit consumers to
Following up on my post here on the lawsuit between ESPN and Verizon FiOS, I had the opportunity to discuss challenges to the current television model with Colin O’Keefe of LXBN. In the interview, I weigh in on a la carte cable as a challenge to the current cable television model.
Verizon’s FiOS television service made news a few weeks ago when it announced that it would offer its channel packages in smaller, cheaper bundles organized by category (e.g., sports, family, news). This prompted an immediate objection from Disney that the terms of Verizon’s license for Disney-owned ESPN prohibit the channel from being offered in a