NAB Neutral on Network Neutrality

Broadcasters may be fighting for a foothold in the broadband future, but they are not making much of a stir in the network neutrality docket.

A National Association of Broadcasters spokesperson would only say NAB was remaining "neutral" on the issue. But the National Religious Broadcasters weighed in squarely behind the FCC's proposal to use Sec. 706 authority -- not Title II common carrier regulations -- to buttress new Open Internet rules. NRB said that if it thought it had to have more authority than Title I, Sec. 706, it should ask Congress for it. NRB wants the FCC to prevent content blocking, but it is not focused on ISPS. Instead it talks about the censorship of speech rights it says is practiced by edge providers, which it argues have shown an "overall pattern" of squashing religious viewpoints on social platforms and App stores with takedown policies defended under the broad rubric of "hate speech."