A new Senate video bill may change how online video distributors do business if it gains traction. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., introduced the Consumer Choice in Online Video Act Tuesday (http://1.usa.gov/1aCRfxs). The bill targets the status of online video distributors and seeks to create parity with incumbent video providers. Initial industry reaction was mixed but largely receptive to the idea that rules would have to change to accommodate online video.

ViaSat is working to counter a “mismatch in expectations” that has been driving up monthly churn for its Exede broadband service, largely among customers switching to it from cable or DSL broadband, CEO Mark Dankberg said on an earnings call.

The U.S. National Security Agency has “weakened, misconstrued and ignored” civil liberties protections that Congress built into the Patriot Act, but the USA Freedom Act would fix that, Jim Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, told the European Parliament Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee Monday. The legislation would deliver “real reform” by ending the NSA dragnet of information from Europeans and Americans, he said. Google, Microsoft and Facebook, meanwhile, denied they give intelligence agencies back-door access to users’ data, sparking skepticism from Parliament members (MEPs).

Rep. George Holding, R-N.C., said there’s a “pretty good likelihood” that the House Judiciary Committee will mark up the Innovation Act (HR-3309) within the next two weeks. “We've worked closely on the staff level with our Senate counterparts on a little pre-conferencing, and I think we'll make some headway on that,” he said Friday at an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC). A committee spokeswoman had no comment. Holding was one of the bill’s original cosponsors when committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., introduced the bill in late October (CD Oct 24 p12). Goodlatte has said he has an ambitious timeline for the bill, holding a hearing on the bill less than a week after introducing it (CD Oct 30 p15). Other committee members and some industry stakeholders urged the committee to slow movement of the bill and consider its impact.

A draft declaratory ruling that could increase foreign ownership of U.S. stations was opposed by Free Press, though officials from two other nonprofits that represent minority interests take a different stance. The draft might lead to international foreign language content squeezing out local content more relevant to foreign language speakers in America, said Free Press in an ex parte filing Friday (http://bit.ly/1aJI6ZT). “This concern is particularly relevant in Latino communities where, historically, foreign investors have ignored American-Latino issues and content in favor of programming from Latin countries.” Though the National Hispanic Media Coalition agrees with some of Free Press’s points, an official said the group doesn’t object to the proposed ruling, since it isn’t actually a rule change. Free Press didn’t provide any evidence for its argument, said Minority Media and Telecommunications Council President David Honig, who has pushed for the clarification for years. “Hispanic broadcasters overwhelmingly favor this policy change."

The FCC should refrain from setting one-size-fits-all requirements for the E-rate program, and use its limited E-rate funds responsibly instead of simply aiming to double the fund’s size, parties said in reply comments.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said Friday unlicensed spectrum has a big role to play and the commission will make sure it gets its due as the agency finalizes rules for the TV spectrum incentive auction. Wheeler, in his fifth day as chairman, made a surprise appearance at the beginning of an FCC workshop on unlicensed issues tied to the auction.

NAB, NPR, DirecTV and other groups addressed time discrepancies, location code and other issues in comments on the first nationwide test of the emergency alert system (EAS), which took place two years ago (CD Nov 10/11 p2). Comments on the test’s equipment and operation were due last week in docket 04-296.

EU efforts to toughen personal data protection rules have encountered a level of lobbying rarely, if ever, seen in Brussels, said industry, civil society and EU representatives in recent interviews. But lobbying in Europe isn’t necessarily becoming more American-style because of major differences in money flows and the political setup, they said. The European Parliament and European Commission have complained about pressure from U.S. companies affected by the proposed data protection regulation, but one law firm lobbyist said American companies are being unfairly accused of wanting to weaken privacy rules.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s blog post Tuesday laying out his larger vision on regulation was intended to lay out a pro-competitive message (CD Nov 6 p1), Wheeler said in an interview Wednesday. Wheeler spoke shortly after arriving back at the FCC from the White House where Vice President Joe Biden swore him in as chairman in a more high-profile ceremony than his Monday inauguration.