Yesterday, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the “Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act” in an attempt to prevent consumers from experiencing runaway price increases for video content. Unfortunately, the bill puts the ability of many rural and other viewers to continue to access network programming at risk and could result in an effective pay-TV monopoly for many viewers.

In a letter to Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler affirmed his commitment to a workable industry-wide set-top box standard to replace the system removed by Congress in the satellite television reauthorization bill STELAR. Public Knowledge applauds the Chairman for his commitment to leading the charge on consumer protections and choice in the video device marketplace.

Today the House of Representatives passed satellite legislation that includes a cable giveaway that harms the set-top box market by voice vote. The STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014, the new House counterpart to the Senate’s STAVRA bill, contains a provision that could drive up cable prices, reduce consumer choice and impede video innovation. Public Knowledge urges the Senate to reject this approach or adopt the Markey amendment, which preserves the opportunity for competition in the set-top box market — and consumer choice.

John Bergmayer, Senior Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge, will testify tomorrow before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the hearing titled, “Reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA).” Bergmayer’s testimony will recommend that Congress reauthorize STELA to ensure that customers can continue to receive the programming they pay for.

A few weeks ago, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on the Judiciary both voted to move bills reauthorizing parts of STELAR (the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization) to the full House floor. You might be wondering: What is STELAR, how does it affect consumers, and what should […]

The laws around broadcasting and the retransmission of broadcast signals by cable and satellite companies are built up around a set of assumptions. One of the most basic is that individual broadcasters broadcast their signal to a specific geographic market where people can pick it up for free over the air, and pay TV providers […]