Arlington, Va. (January 15, 2016)—A collection of leading broadband associations and consumer advocates are calling for changes in the broken video marketplace.
Stressing that video competition breeds more broadband competition, the group, known as Networks for Competition and Choice, filed reply comments on Thursday with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the good faith principles by which retransmission consent agreements are negotiated. In the filing, the group encouraged the FCC to adopt retransmission consent reform as a way to mitigate consumer harm caused by increased prices, blackouts, and a lack of competitive retail video options.
To read a copy of the NTCA's FCC filing, click here.
The group includes NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, INCOMPAS, ITTA and Public Knowledge. This coalition, called Networks for Competition and Choice, advocates policies that highlight the link between high-speed broadband availability and affordable access to content. The Open Technology Institute at New America, which promotes policy and market solutions that support broadband adoption, competition, and affordability, also contributed to the reply comments.
In conjunction with the filing, the members of the coalition released the following statements:
- Comments filed in this proceeding show that broadcasters will fight any attempt to level the negotiating playing field to ensure that all consumers have access to content they want at prices they can afford. NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association” is hopeful that the FCC will carefully consider the record in this proceeding and ensure that the good faith negotiating standard protects rural consumers and the small multichannel video programming distributors that serve them,” said Shirley Bloomfield, NTCA chief executive officer (CEO).
- “Consumers are desperate for more broadband competition. Removing roadblocks to video content would help new network builders bring faster more affordable networks to communities across the country,” said Chip Pickering, CEO of INCOMPAS (formerly COMPTEL).
- “The record in this proceeding clearly shows that the FCC has ample authority to adopt meaningful reforms to the good faith standard and that it would be in the public interest to do so,” said Genny Morelli, ITTA president.
- "Blackouts and increasing programming costs are a problem for consumers, and the comments and reply comments in this proceeding provide the FCC with the factual and legal basis it needs to ac,” said John Bergmayer, Public Knowledge.
About Networks for Competition and Choice:
To promote higher broadband speeds and greater broadband choice and adoption, the Federal Communications Commission must reform outdated video policies that stifle competition and choice in the video and broadband markets. The coalition Networks for Competition and Choice aims to demonstrate the need for pro-consumer video policy reform to the Commission.