FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler laid out another defense for his set-top box rulemaking before lawmakers, this time in response to critics. The letter’s Friday release follows a Thursday news conference of Capitol Hill Democratic defenders (see 1606090066). Some saw it as inappropriately attacking NPRM critic Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., who has led Democrats in opposition.
The House FY 2017 FCC funding bill retained its policy riders curbing the agency’s net neutrality order, mandating a pause to the set-top proceeding and mandating FCC process overhaul Thursday as it advanced to the floor. Appropriations Committee Republicans shot down Democrats' attempts to modify the Financial Services bill during the long full committee markup, approving the bill 30-17.
A group of Capitol Hill Democrats defended the FCC set-top box rulemaking Thursday during a news conference featuring multiple officials affiliated with the Consumer Video Choice Coalition. Opponents of the NPRM, including the Future of TV Coalition, have been outspoken in recent weeks, with Democrats and Republicans outlining concerns and calling for pause.
A group of Capitol Hill Democrats defended the FCC set-top box rulemaking Thursday during a news conference featuring multiple officials affiliated with the Consumer Video Choice Coalition. Opponents of the NPRM, including the Future of TV Coalition, have been outspoken in recent weeks, with Democrats and Republicans outlining concerns and calling for pause.
The House FY 2017 FCC funding bill retained its policy riders curbing the agency’s net neutrality order, mandating a pause to the set-top proceeding and mandating FCC process overhaul Thursday as it advanced to the floor. Appropriations Committee Republicans shot down Democrats' attempts to modify the Financial Services bill during the long full committee markup, approving the bill 30-17.
Sprint’s stock price is on the rebound, but there are plenty of reasons for investors to have doubts, said Craig Moffett, analyst at MoffettNathanson, Wednesday in a blog post. “Obviously, no company can borrow its way out of debt. But Sprint has successfully pulled off a series of clever financial engineering maneuvers that have provided additional liquidity, and at a generally lower cost of borrowing than that of Sprint’s existing debt,” Moffett wrote. But Moffett questioned some of the numbers, particularly recent write-downs based on property, plant and equipment (PP&E). In a recent 10-K filing, Sprint revealed an “astonishing” $256 million write-down on leased devices, “part of a huge $487 [million] loss on disposals of PP&E in Fiscal 2015, which accelerated throughout the fiscal year,” he said. The leasing loss number “gives one pause,” he said. At a $650 average value per leased handset, that translates to 393,000 customers “simply walking off with a Sprint handset at lease inception, without ever making a single payment.” Sprint closed at $3.82 Wednesday, down 9 cents for the day.
Some Capitol Hill Democrats may not resist a GOP House appropriations rider that would slow the FCC’s set-top box proceeding. House Republicans hitched the rider to the FY 2017 FCC funding bill unveiled last week. Some Democrats in both chambers oppose the language, but many also question the NPRM. Bipartisan and bicameral backing is widely seen as crucial for ensuring riders’ inclusion in any broader FY 2017 government funding package later this year.
Some Capitol Hill Democrats may not resist a GOP House appropriations rider that would slow the FCC’s set-top box proceeding. House Republicans hitched the rider to the FY 2017 FCC funding bill unveiled last week. Some Democrats in both chambers oppose the language, but many also question the NPRM. Bipartisan and bicameral backing is widely seen as crucial for ensuring riders’ inclusion in any broader FY 2017 government funding package later this year.
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 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).
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 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).