Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST NEWS: FCC Media Bureau seeks input for next video competition report, (Aug 8, 2016)
Organizations Mentioned:Dish Network | Federal Communications Commission
By Lynn Stanton,TR Daily
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Media Bureau is seeking comment on the status of competition in the market for the delivery of video programming, to be used in preparing the agency’s 18th report to Congress on that subject.
In a public notice released on August 5, the bureau said it expects to continue using the analytical framework employed for the 17th report, in which entities were categorized as multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), broadcast television stations, or over-the-top video distributors (OVDs). It asked for comment on the proposed categories. It also asked for "data, information, and comment regarding the providers’ business models and competitive strategies, and relevant operating and financial statistics in each of the three groups."
"We recognize that the business models and competitive strategies of entities in one group may impact the business models and competitive strategies of entities in the other groups. We request data, information, and comment regarding the interrelationships and competitive interactions between and among MVPDs, broadcasters, and OVDs. We also recognize that some companies offer more than one type of video service, such as an MVPD service and an OVD service (DISH Network/Sling TV), or an MVPD service and a broadcast service (Comcast/NBCU). We request data, information, and comment regarding the impact of common ownership across the three groups on competition in the marketplace for the delivery of video programming. In addition, we recognize that many consumers obtain delivered video programming from providers in more than one of these three groups. We request data, information, and comment regarding consumer views and usage of MVPDs, broadcasters, and OVDs," it said.
The bureau also asked for comment on customer premises equipment that enables the viewing of programming on television sets. In the 18threport, the bureau plans to report on a calendar year-end basis and requests data as of December 31, 2015.
Among the other issues on which it asked for comment in the 18-page public notice are horizontal concentration in MVPD, broadcast, and OVD markets; vertical integration between video programming networks and either MVPDs, broadcasters, or OVDs; regulatory and market conditions affecting competition; online service strategies of MVPDs and broadcasters; multicasting strategies of broadcasters; linear programming strategies of OVDs; video-programming-related fees on MVPD bills; and consumer views of various services, including the extent to which they see them as substitutes for each other.
Comments are due by September 21 and replies are due by October 24 in MB docket 16-247.
News: Antitrust