The Big Advertising, Media and Tech Issues Facing Congress

It’s more bark than bite. Despite the CBS blackout on Time Warner Cable, there’s little appetite in Congress to do anything about retransmission.

Time Warner and Dish are trying to convince lawmakers to tack reform onto the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act, which Congress must move on before the end of 2014. More noise is expected in September at the House communications and technology subcommittee hearing on the expiring act. On Sept 9, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in Verizon Wireless v. FCC, a case that has profound implications for future Internet policy–whether the FCC has the authority to regulate the Internet by imposing rules that prohibit online service providers from blocking or slowing down legal content from competitors. The FCC admittedly lacks authority even though acting chair Mignon Clyburn said she was “ready to consider appropriate action.” Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE), chairman of the commerce, manufacturing and trade subcommittee, is just getting started, forming a working group to examine privacy issues.