TV Blocking Bill Clears Senate Panel, Threatening Cable Ops

TV BLOCKING BILL CLEARS SENATE PANEL, THREATENING CABLE OPS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News 8/2, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously adopted a bill (S. 602) that requires the Federal Communications Commission to study the availability of “advanced blocking technologies” to filter not just TV programming but also Internet content. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR), was different from the version introduced in February, which contained language that allowed the FCC to mandate use of blocking devices “across a wide variety of distribution platforms, including wired, wireless and Internet platforms.” Under the bill that now heads to the Senate floor, the FCC would have 90 days to initiate and 270 days to conclude a notice of inquiry that results in a report to Congress. The bill would not authorize the FCC to adopt rules. The Pryor bill contains language signaling to the FCC to look for alternatives to a la carte mandates. In examining blocking tools, the bill said, the FCC should do so in ways “that do not affect the packaging or pricing of a content provider’s offering.”
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6465207.html