Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) has scheduled a
hearing for April 24 on the migration of video from traditional TV to online,
whether that is the future of content delivery and whether that could mean
lower prices for consumers.
"It
will examine the role that disruptive technologies play in facilitating this
transition, and the business and legal models that foster the growth of this
sector," according to Rockefeller's office.
The
hearing comes on the heels of the FCC's request for comment on the definition
of "multichannel video provider" and "channel" and whether an online video
provider should be subject to the same obligations and responsibilities -- program
access and carriage requirements, and must-carry -- as traditional video
providers.
"Everything
about television is changing," said Chairman Rockefeller in a statement.
"People are watching all sorts of programs on an assortment of platforms, at
different times of the day or night and without the traditional boundaries of
television channels. The digital age is fusing the television screen with the
computer screen and it's important to explore this topic. I want to focus this
hearing on what these changes mean for consumers, especially in rural areas,
and if this evolution of video can bring them higher quality content at lower
rates."
