Dorgan, Snowe Call for Hearing on Content Discrimination

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/26/2007 2:16:00 PM

The term "network neutrality" never came up in their letter, but Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) called on Senate Commerce Committee chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) to hold a hearing on possible "service discrimination" by cable and telco providers.

That came after a number of recent criticisms of Comcast,Verizon Communications and AT&T of how they are managing their networks.

The pair said in a letter to Inouye Friday that the committee needs to determine whether the various actions -- blocking access to text messages and anti-Bush lyrics, for example -- "were based on legitimage business and network-management policies or part of practices that would be deemed unfair and anticompetitive."

Content discrimination was one of the chief concerns of proponents of legislation to mandate so-called network neutrality, which is nondiscrimination by networks against Internet software or servcices.

Talkback

We would love your feedback!

Post a comment

» View All Talkback Threads

Related Content

• Topics
• Author

Net Neutrality Back in Spotlight

11/11/2007

Senate Commerce Committee Wants Consumer Flexibility on DTV Coupons

05/07/2008

Senate Commerce Committee Postpones Hearing on FCC-Blocking Bill

04/02/2008

Kerry Named To Head New Communications & Tech Subcommittee

02/12/2009

Senators See Progress in Network-Neutrality Debate

04/22/2008

Also by this author

• Waivers No Help to Failing Stations

• Broadcasters Reject Wireless Providers Calls to Curtail Over-the-Air Digital Service

• Free Press Launches Online Campaign To Block Comcast/NBCU

• Senate Satellite Markup Expected Nov. 17

• NCTA Implores Need For Flexibility in Managing Cyber Attacks

Also by John Eggerton

Product Wire

• Resource Center
• Browse Categories
• Browse Companies

Featured Company

• Akamai

  

  Akamai provides market-leading managed services for powering rich media, dynamic transactions, and enterprise applications online. Having pioneered the content delivery market one decade ago, Akamai's services have been adopted by the world's most... more

• WorldNow

  

  A leader in online technology, content & revenue solutions, WorldNow is the only company to provide comprehensive technology platforms & strategic advertising services, enabling media companies to expand to the digital realm with innovative Web... more

• Parks Associates

  

  Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from... more

• Telestream

  

  Telestream products are used by the world's leading media and entertainment companies and corporations for transcoding and workflow automation. Telestream helps customers transform their media for multiplatform distribution to web, mobile, DVD... more

---

Most Recent Resources

• Robust Encoding, Transcoding and Streaming Systems – Critical...
• Simultaneous Multi-Format Encoding for Efficient Content Repurposing
• Broadband Services: The Turning Point
• Digital Lifestyles and the Service Provider
• IPTV and the Digital Home