WTA Urges FCC to Consider Set Top Box Proposals Burden on Small MVPDs

Today, WTA filed comments in the FCC’s proceeding to “unlock the box” and require MVPDs to make available content and other information included in providing video services to third-party box manufacturers.  Before proceeding to adopt rules, WTA urged the FCC to conduct a full assessment of ongoing innovation in the marketplace for video services and associated navigation devices, as well as the costs and benefits of the imposition of its proposal upon small MVPDs and their customers. WTA also urged the FCC to exempt analog cable systems and small MVPDs from any new requirements due to the fact that their compliance costs would substantially outweigh the minuscule or nonexistent impact of their market segment upon such set-top box competition. Rather than imposing significant rate increases on already over-burdened consumers or the hastening of the exit of small MVPDs from the market, an exemption would allow valuable limited resources to be dedicated to advancing broadband deployment in the rural service areas served by small MVPDs rather than toward regulatory compliance.