Delay in Set-Top Box Vote Keeps Americans Waiting for Relief from Pay-TV Price-Gouging
WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission delayed a scheduled vote on new rules for set-top boxes. Customers collectively spend billions every year to rent such boxes from their cable-TV providers. The proposed rules were supposed to allow people to buy their own devices and utilize applications to integrate pay-TV and online video.
Congress commanded the FCC to break open the cable-box monopoly more than 20 years ago, and the FCC’s latest proposals were an attempt to finally implement that law. But any common-sense and consumer-friendly proposals that the FCC put forward were swiftly met with intense industry opposition. Earlier this month, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler proposed a series of compromises, including a measure that would allow cable and satellite pay-TV operators to retain control over the apps subscribers might use to view programming on any device.
Despite these major concessions to the cable industry, broadcasters and Hollywood — three powerful lobbies that Comcast now essentially controls — the FCC was unable to secure the three votes needed to approve the proposal before today’s FCC open meeting. The agency’s three Democratic commissioners issued a statement saying they’re “working to resolve the remaining technical and legal issues.”
Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood made the following statement:
“The FCC should be commended for all of its work to end the cable industry’s habit of price-gouging its customers. Sensible rules would follow Congress’ mandate to give viewers more control over what they watch and what they pay — saving them money while opening up a world of diverse content that cable has shut out from our TV screens.
“Unfortunately, the decision to push back the vote shows the substantial obstacles to making any progressive communications policy that benefits diverse content creators and paying customers alike in the face of organized opposition from monopolies and corporate lobbyists.
“Unlocking the box is a chance to curb cable’s gatekeeping power and confront the lack of competition that has allowed companies to rip people off for far too long. The last thing we need are watered-down compromises or further delays to efforts to lower people's monthly cable bills and enable independent content creators to find larger audiences. But now that the vote has been delayed, the FCC should focus on strengthening this proposal — and that means standing up to an industry that will never stop trying to kill competition and keep prices high.”
