Wheeler Disputes Set-top NPRM Critics, Replying to Clarke, Other House Democrats
The FCC's "record is replete with comments from minority programmers who have been locked out from carriage on traditional cable networks,” said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, responding to a group of more than 50 House Democrats in a May 23…
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letter released Wednesday. Reps. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., and Gene Green, D-Texas, led that letter, sent in late April, urging a pause to the set-top proceeding while further study is done. “For the sake of these entrepreneurs and the audiences they hope to reach, we must move forward. Our proposal would provide minority and independent programmers with an equal opportunity to reach their audiences," Wheeler said. "The proposal would facilitate competition in interfaces, search functions, and integration of programming sources, all of which would provide programmers with a greater ability to find audiences and consumers with a greater ability to access independent and minority programming,” The NPRM won't disrupt existing relationships, he said. Wheeler included a quote from BET CEO Debra Lee saying the NPRM would give away the network’s programming for free, but Wheeler assured Democrats that “nothing in the proposal would require anyone to give away their content for free.” Wheeler countered TV One CEO Alfred Liggins’ claim the programming market is currently working for minority content providers in reaching consumers. “Comments in the record take the opposite view,” Wheeler said. “For instance, GFNTV submitted comments that ‘minority programmers will not be able to grow and thrive with the current system.' Ultimately, the record being developed will answer this question.” He also defended the copyright protections contemplated in his NPRM. Wheeler offered a similar defense of the NPRM in a separate response to two other House Democrats, also released Wednesday. Lee recently told the FCC of her concerns (see 1605310063).