FCC 'MIA' on Skyrocketing Video Programming Costs, ACA's Polka Says
The FCC -- through the pending AT&T/DirecTV deal or its ongoing programming access proceeding -- has a chance to "do the right thing" by tackling the rising costs of programming, American Cable Association President Matt Polka said Wednesday in a…
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statement in response to comments before the House Communications Subcommittee by analyst Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson. The subcommittee hearing involved broadband, and Moffett said both broadband and the cable-TV industry face huge and growing video programming price pressures. ACA has talked about rising video costs for years "but the FCC has been MIA," Polka said, pointing to the lack of any proposed conditions in AT&T/DirecTV that would prevent video costs from rising as a result. "By failing to act, [the FCC] has tipped the scales in favor of program owners and ignored the harms to video and broadband consumers and providers," Polka said. The FCC declined to comment.