FCC May Exit App Standards Oversight in Set-Top Proposal

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Apparently, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler's apps-based set-top box/navigation device proposal is getting a major tweak to get programmers on board. While the proposal was to have had the FCC backstop an app licensing body to make sure agreements were reasonable and not anti-competitive, industry sources said the FCC will no longer have that explicit oversight role and, instead, would review the app standards process after a couple of years and step in then, if necessary.

For the Hollywood studios, having the FCC potentially change the terms of contracts is a nonstarter, as it was for various Hill Democrats, especially on the Justice committees that deal with copyright. The item is still in flux, apparently, but it was moving toward that major adjustment. Chairman Wheeler signaled two weeks ago there would be further stakeholder talks and that he was willing to tweak his proposal to address concerns about the licensing body and copyrights.


FCC May Exit App Standards Oversight in Set-Top Proposal