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[Commentary] Once, it was perfectly clear that a TV Household would be a household with access to a working TV. Now, the trend toward thinking in terms of video consumption across all platforms, capable of delivering it rather than being constrained to the historic model of passive viewing of scheduled television broadcasts, has called the usefulness of that definition into question.

It’s not that the definition has become wrong, simply that it doesn’t encompass the array of viewing behaviors that advertisers, agencies and media owners are keen to understand and leverage. Logically then, the definition could be expected to move toward some kind of definition of a Video Household. This will only be supported if measurement of enough households can be equally comprehensive across at least the three leading video platforms of TV, online and mobile phone. (And ideally tablet, but we’ll have to see about that one.)

[Mike Bloxham is executive director, marketing for the Media Behavior Institute]

Spending on TV is expected to increase 6.5% this year, with subscription TV growing 5.8% annually from 2011 to 2016 and broadcast TV up 5.9% during that period, according to a new forecast from investment firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson.

Veronis Suhler says those spending levels haven't been seen since before the global economic downturn and that the growth is being driven by digital technology. "Digital's influence is now a constant and significant factor in every sector, segment and sub-segment of the U.S. communications industry," John Suhler, cofounder and president of VSS, said in a statement. "At the same time as digital technology and innovation continue to spur growth in the industry or propel the communications industry forward, emerging digital media and services are significantly changing consumption habits among both institutional and consumer end-users. These developments will drive digital-related expenditures to constitute nearly 40% of the overall U.S. communications industry spending by 2016."

The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee is seeking the help of Internet search engines in trying to combat unscrupulous online moving brokers that his panel says are trying to "game" search results to reach potential customers. Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) reached out to Google, Microsoft and Yahoo as part of the committee's investigation into Internet moving brokers.

In a staff report, the committee found that some moving brokers, many of which use the Internet to reach consumers, lure potential customers with low-priced bids for moving services, but often fail to note that the binding "deposits" consumers provide actually go to cover the brokers' fees. As a result, consumers are often left paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in additional fees to the companies that actually show up to move their stuff. The movers will sometimes hold their belongings hostage if they refuse to pay up, the investigation found. In letters to Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, Chairman Rockefeller said it appeared many of the Internet brokers were trying to manipulate search engine results so their websites rise to the top of search rankings

Because of committee term limits, seven House panels will get new chairmen next Congress, putting new policy players atop committees that oversee everything from the financial sector to immigration to the nation’s roads and bridges.

The demographics of committee chairs won’t change much: White men will be replaced by white men and, as Republicans try to show they’re the party for women, there will still just be one female lawmaker atop a House committee. The 113th Congress is poised to tackle some of the weightiest issues facing the nation — deficits, winding down of wars, immigration policy and regulation of large swaths of the nation’s economy. Committee chairs — historically — have the ear of Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), and Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). They also help set the tone for policy debates throughout the Capitol.

• Homeland Security Chairman Peter King of New York will hand over his gavel to Rep. Candice Miller of Michigan.
• Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith of Texas will almost certainly be replaced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia.
• Science, Space and Technology Chairman Ralph Hall of Texas is all but sure to be replaced by Smith of the Judiciary Committee. Veteran Wisconsin Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who chaired the panel from 1997 to 2001, also is making a play for that committee.