NCTA to FCC: Video is Competitive, But Online Video Distributors Should Be Monitored

Cable operators have a simple answer to the Federal Communications Commission's burning question of whether the video marketplace is competitive—yes—and a suggestion for how the FCC should proceed armed with that conclusion, including by making sure new online video competitors don't do anything to hurt that flourishing competition.

That came in comments by NCTA-The Internet & Television Association on the FCC's latest call for input on its annual video competition report. The FCC under Republican Chairman Ajit Pai is likely to break with recent tradition and actually produce a report that comes to a conclusion about that competitiveness, rather than simply provide a snapshot of the marketplace as previous reports under Democratic chairs have done. NCTA says the whole point of the report is to come to a conclusion about whether it is time to "dismantle a regulatory framework premised on the lack of competition." The previous reports under Democrats did not conclude one way or another. NCTA also knows what the report should conclude: "Today's marketplace is characterized by vigorous competition" it says, among content providers of all stripes.