News Round-Up: Regulatory and Government

Because the [itvt] editorial team is busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show (March 3rd-4th in San Francisco) and on our new EBIF Intensive event (March 5th in San Francisco), we will be covering most stories in summary/round-up form over the next few weeks. Here is a round-up of regulatory/government news for the past few days:

• In a Public Interest Statement filed with the FCC last week, Comcast argues that its proposed union with NBC Universal will not pose a competitive threat to the developing market for broadband video/OTT services. The MSO also argues that a union with NBCU would accelerate its own TV Everywhere strategy and help drive broadband adoption by removing "negotiation impediments" it has run into in its attempts to develop a cross-platform content library. Cable Digital News's Jeff Baumgartner has more.
• In a response to a recently issued RFI from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that seeks "comment on how the Commission can encourage innovation in the market for video devices that will assist the Commission's development of a National Broadband Plan" (note: for more on the RFI, see the article published on itvt.com, December 7th), the NCTA stated last week that the US cable industry is involved in at least 10 projects that further the FCC's goal of integrating online video delivery systems into pay-TV set-top boxes. The organization also urged the commission not to rush to mandate a "standardized gateway" to deliver all multichannel video programming to the home. "Proposed mandates on MVPD's to reinvent their platforms to use a one-size-fits-all, consensus technology would slow or stifle the development of diverse technologies and services that drive competition, innovation, and expanded choice for consumers," the NCTA stated. Multichannel News's John Eggerton has more.