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FCC repeals restrictions on consolidation of media companies
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed a handful of rules that it said were keeping the media industry out of the digital age, the Washington Post reports. The decades-old regulations were implemented in order to keep a diversity of perspectives within print, radio, and televised media outlets, but FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says they're out of date and don't reflect the current media landscape. "Few of the FCC's rules are staler than our broadcast ownership regulations," he said. "This agency finally drags its broadcast ownership rules to the digital age."
FCC will vote on viewer-tracking broadcast standard this week
On Thursday, the FCC will vote on a new broadcast standard that stands to have a big impact on both consumers and broadcasters. Next Gen TV, also known as ATSC 3.0, will bring with it sharper images and video as well as the ability for TV broadcasters to get more detailed data about consumers' viewing habits. Rather than just broad demographics, those broadcasters will be able to collect viewing data similar to how cable providers do with set-top boxes and how websites track browsing history. That information could then be used to more specifically target ads to viewers. The FCC is expected to approve the new standard but many are voicing concern over privacy issues and lack of regulation.
