The Cable and Hollywood Endgame to Kill Set-top Box Competition

The set-top box fight may be shaping up to be a prime example of how policymakers who don't want to anger their constituents can protect corporate interests without ever having to officially come out against consumers. You just delay a regulatory process so that the clock runs out and the Federal Communications Commission doesn't have the opportunity to vote to explode the set-top box monopoly.

This summer, and even now, we've seen the elements of this strategy play out. After FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler proposed rules to eliminate the set-top box monopoly and hundreds of thousands of consumers cheered the effort, House Representatives passed a spending bill prohibiting the FCC from completing new rules in 2016. Soon after, the Senate Appropriations Committee did something similar. Of course, they never outright said that they're against competition or more choices for consumers; they just label the issue as "very complicated," or they “have concerns,” or just say whatever they can think of to justify telling the FCC to take more time and not end this consumer rip-off in 2016. So here we are, either two weeks away from the FCC finally moving forward to break the cable box monopoly, or another delay. Stay tuned to see what happens, or dive right in and help us peel back the disinformation and stealth by demanding FCC action and no Congressional interference!