Sen Bennet Asks FCC to Rethink Effective Competition

Add Sen Michael Bennet (D-CO) to the list of Democratic Senators who have registered concern with the Federal Communications Commission's proposal to presume cable operators face local market competition for traditional video unless a franchisee can prove otherwise. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has circulated an order reversing the "effective competition" presumption given that the FCC has granted, in whole or in part, every such petition since 2013, primarily due to the presence of two national video competitors, Dish and DirecTV. A finding of effective competition triggers basic cable rate deregulation and removes the requirement that retransmission stations be on that basic tier.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, Sen Bennet said that he was concerned that cable opeators could move "less profitable local stations" from the basic tier, leading to less choice and higher prices, especially for rural and low income Coloradans. Other Democratic Senators who have taken aim at the proposal include Sens Al Franken (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).