FCC Probes Cable Operators on ‘Ditch the Box’ Effort

The Federal Communications Commission has a bunch of questions for cable operators and other backers of an app-based “ditch the box” compromise proposal on promoting competitive navigation devices. That is according to a list of questions FCC staffers have for those stakeholders, including the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, based on a copy supplied by a source and confirmed by FCC officials on background. FCC staffers have been meeting with stakeholders after FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said he was open to productive discussions about finding common ground on the issue. From the questions posed by FCC staffers, there are plenty of points that need clarifying but also some hope that the proposal could have legs.

There was plenty of “please clarifying” in the FCC staff questions but also a lot of “we agreeing.” That agreement was mostly on the broad strokes: HTML5 may be an appropriate platform for third parties to provide access to content; open standards provide more choice; that multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD) programming contract rights should convey to third party apps or devices (a key issue with programmers); and that the app should be free. It is likely how “ditch the box” backers fill in the details that determines whether ditching the box can be the basis of a compromise.