The FCC should institute a rulemaking to “restore...
The FCC should institute a rulemaking to “restore balance to the video marketplace” by limiting programmers’ ability to bundle channels, give discounts to large providers, control tier placement, or interfere with access to their content on the Internet, said Mediacom…
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in a petition for expedited rulemaking filed Monday. The multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) marketplace has changed from being “dominated by cable operators to one in which the programmers (both broadcast and non-broadcast) clearly have the upper hand and are able to engage in coercive practices,” said the Mediacom petition. To address the problem, the FCC should allow MVPDs to offer limited a la carte programming of high priced content, or compel programmers to offer all MVPDs the same bundles they offer large carriers or unbundled networks. The commission should also prohibit blocking of Internet access as a negotiating tactic and require programmers to seek waivers justifying volume discounts, the petition said. “The Commission has the statutory authority to address the problems afflicting the video programming marketplace,” Mediacom said. “What it needs is the will to do so."