Mediacom’s Commisso Wants New FCC Commissioners to Take the Pledge

Mediacom chairman Rocco Commisso has written to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) asking them to secure commitments from a new Federal Communications Commission chairman and commissioner that they will "promptly address the broken video programming marketplace."

Commisso argues that current FCC Chairman Genachowski and his predecessor, Kevin Martin, both dodged the issue by contending the FCC lacked authority. "In our view, the Commission has used its assertion that it lacks the authority to take effective action as an excuse for doing nothing," Commisso wrote. Commisso pointed to commission inaction on a pair of proceedings, calling it an unconscionable disservice to consumers. "It has been over five years since chairman Martin initiated a proceeding regarding the programming industry's bundling practices," he said. "It has been three years since chairman Genachowski first solicited comment on petitions seeking reform of the retransmission consent rules."