mvpd
Latest
The FCC gets to work on letting internet TV compete with cable
It's far from a done deal, but the FCC has taken a step towards putting internet TV service on a par with cable and satellite. On Friday it announced the adoption of a proposal (previously floated by chairman Tom Wheeler) that would give TV providers that stream their channels over the internet, the same access to content that satellite and cable TV services have. So far, internet providers aren't classified as a "multichannel video programminng distributor", but if they were that could have forced programmers to negotiate with the likes of Aereo, instead of merely suing them. Even as cord-cutters celebrate, there are some restrictions even with the new proposal -- this plan wouldn't affect Netflix, Amazon or Hulu -- but it could make things easier for PlayStation Vue or Dish Network's planned internet TV feed.
An FCC rule change could put internet TV on a level playing field with cable
Right now internet services don't always have the opportunity to show the same content as traditional TV, but the FCC might be about to change that. Chairman Tom Wheeler described in his blog post "Tech Transitions, Video, and the Future" the "first step" to open cable programs and local TV to internet services, by giving them the same classification that cable and satellite providers have. That wouldn't apply to Netflix or Amazon (as they currently exist), but anyone streaming live TV channels over the internet -- like Sony, Verizon and Dish are planning, Intel tried before selling to Verizon, and Apple's TV project has been rumored to include -- would be covered.
