Accueil
Media Investment
Key FCC commissioner backs away from FCC STB reform plan
Michelle Clancy
| 17 July 2016
Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel has publicly backed away from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s plan to open up set-top boxes (STBs) to online media competition.
fccWhile the three Democratic commissioners, including Rosenworcel, initially voted to initiate the process for new rules (the two Republicans on the FCC opposed the proposal), she now says that the original proposal is flawed.
During a hearing with a House subcommittee last week, Rosenworcel joined Republican FCC Commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O'Rielly in answering in the affirmative to the query, "Do you agree that the initial FCC set-top proposal is flawed?" She also said yes to the question, "Do you agree that if the FCC is to move forward, it should follow a different approach than outlined in the [Notice of Proposed Rulemaking?"
The FCC proposed in January opening the TV STB market to new competitors. Pay-TV operators want to enable their services through apps based on open HTML5 standards, which could be implemented on a range of third-party devices—thus eliminating the need for proprietary CPE. They have said that their plan dovetails with the FCC’s goal of encouraging the proliferation of video on any device, from smartphones and tablets to laptops, game consoles, dedicated streaming devices and smart TVs. The long-term goal is to allow consumers to access multiple content providers from a single app or device – often referred to as AllVid.
“As its fate is debated within the halls of power by multi-billion dollar corporations, it’s easy to forget that the cable set top box is just a device,” said Kevin Speedy, communications director at FreeCast, via email. “It’s salient only because that clunky box near your TV has become emblematic of its function, which is an essential one: the management of media content.”
Programmers and content companies recently filed comments the FCC, touting a compromise proposal. They said that they wanted the FCC to ensure that third-party apps on STBs be given "parity" with pay-TV providers' own apps.
"The MVPD apps plan offers a constructive foundation for providing consumers with an alternative to leasing set-top boxes, subject to certain additional protections for programmers and the clarification of particular details," wrote executives from Time Warner, 21st Century Fox, Viacom, CBS and Scripps Networks Interactive in a filing with the US regulatory body. "Any final rules must ensure parity for programmer apps and provide program networks with enforceable contractual rights against competitive device manufacturers and MVPDs. The companies stated that they look forward to working closely with the Commission and MVPDs as the proceeding moves forward."
The distributor side of the fence voiced its own set of concerns. The pay-TV providers say in their “ditch the box” campaign that developing an app-based approach in which content management and delivery could be implemented on a range of third-party hardware would be the best route.
Meanwhile, in a separate FCC filing, the Consumer Video Choice Coalition (which includes executives from Public Knowledge, TiVo and other companies) said that the pay-TV industry's proposal "constructively demonstrates that the Commission's proposed timeline for expecting major MVPDs to achieve IP-based delivery through open and interoperable standards is feasible."
Wheeler commented that he would need to examine further “whether their proposal fully meets all of the goals of our proceeding” but noted that it had promise.
Regardless of the outcome, consumers will control what ultimately happens in the marketplace.
“While many consumers would see dealing with the often popular tech companies as preferable to the perennially despised cable TV providers, at the end of the day, consumers want what’s best for them,” Speedy said. “They want to be able to enjoy any content they want to watch, conveniently and affordably, where they want, when they want, how they want, and with little patience for mega-corporate competition getting in the way. What they want is an agnostic media manager that makes it easy and puts them in control, rather than trying to milk them for money at every turn or push them towards favored products and content. They want TV on their terms.”
Key FCC commissioner backs away from FCC STB reform plan
Michelle Clancy
| 17 July 2016
Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel has publicly backed away from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s plan to open up set-top boxes (STBs) to online media competition.
fccWhile the three Democratic commissioners, including Rosenworcel, initially voted to initiate the process for new rules (the two Republicans on the FCC opposed the proposal), she now says that the original proposal is flawed.
During a hearing with a House subcommittee last week, Rosenworcel joined Republican FCC Commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O'Rielly in answering in the affirmative to the query, "Do you agree that the initial FCC set-top proposal is flawed?" She also said yes to the question, "Do you agree that if the FCC is to move forward, it should follow a different approach than outlined in the [Notice of Proposed Rulemaking?"
The FCC proposed in January opening the TV STB market to new competitors. Pay-TV operators want to enable their services through apps based on open HTML5 standards, which could be implemented on a range of third-party devices—thus eliminating the need for proprietary CPE. They have said that their plan dovetails with the FCC’s goal of encouraging the proliferation of video on any device, from smartphones and tablets to laptops, game consoles, dedicated streaming devices and smart TVs. The long-term goal is to allow consumers to access multiple content providers from a single app or device – often referred to as AllVid.
“As its fate is debated within the halls of power by multi-billion dollar corporations, it’s easy to forget that the cable set top box is just a device,” said Kevin Speedy, communications director at FreeCast, via email. “It’s salient only because that clunky box near your TV has become emblematic of its function, which is an essential one: the management of media content.”
Programmers and content companies recently filed comments the FCC, touting a compromise proposal. They said that they wanted the FCC to ensure that third-party apps on STBs be given "parity" with pay-TV providers' own apps.
"The MVPD apps plan offers a constructive foundation for providing consumers with an alternative to leasing set-top boxes, subject to certain additional protections for programmers and the clarification of particular details," wrote executives from Time Warner, 21st Century Fox, Viacom, CBS and Scripps Networks Interactive in a filing with the US regulatory body. "Any final rules must ensure parity for programmer apps and provide program networks with enforceable contractual rights against competitive device manufacturers and MVPDs. The companies stated that they look forward to working closely with the Commission and MVPDs as the proceeding moves forward."
The distributor side of the fence voiced its own set of concerns. The pay-TV providers say in their “ditch the box” campaign that developing an app-based approach in which content management and delivery could be implemented on a range of third-party hardware would be the best route.
Meanwhile, in a separate FCC filing, the Consumer Video Choice Coalition (which includes executives from Public Knowledge, TiVo and other companies) said that the pay-TV industry's proposal "constructively demonstrates that the Commission's proposed timeline for expecting major MVPDs to achieve IP-based delivery through open and interoperable standards is feasible."
Wheeler commented that he would need to examine further “whether their proposal fully meets all of the goals of our proceeding” but noted that it had promise.
Regardless of the outcome, consumers will control what ultimately happens in the marketplace.
“While many consumers would see dealing with the often popular tech companies as preferable to the perennially despised cable TV providers, at the end of the day, consumers want what’s best for them,” Speedy said. “They want to be able to enjoy any content they want to watch, conveniently and affordably, where they want, when they want, how they want, and with little patience for mega-corporate competition getting in the way. What they want is an agnostic media manager that makes it easy and puts them in control, rather than trying to milk them for money at every turn or push them towards favored products and content. They want TV on their terms.”
