Cárdenas Urges Transparency in New FCC Set-Top Box Proposal
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) today issued the following statement in response to a Fact Sheet recently released by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. The document summarizes the most recent version of the FCC’s proposal to promote competition in the set top box market.
“Even with the limited information available, it is clear that the most recent proposal is substantially different from the NPRM text released in February 2016. In the interest of full transparency, I strongly believe that the Commission should make the proposal publicly available for comment and vetting.
“Throughout the past few months, I have had productive conversations with Chairman Wheeler about the FCC’s proposal and have had the opportunity to express my concerns with the original text. I know that the FCC has been open to suggestions and concerns from the public and from industry stakeholders, some of which have been incorporated in the new apps-based approach. However, I still have concerns with this most recent iteration, particularly the licensing body and development of a standard license. Agreements between programmers and pay-TV providers are exhaustive and complex, and do not stop at channel placement or permissions.
“The FCC should release the text of the recent proposal with enough time for the public, consumer groups and industry stakeholders to sufficiently review the proposal before a vote by the Commission.”
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