FSF: Rosenworcel vMPVD Letter Misses Point

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, saying classifying streaming services or virtual MVPDs (vMVPDs) as MVPDs is outside the FCC’s jurisdiction (see 2303310061) “overlooks the forest for the trees,” said Free State Foundation Senior Fellow Andrew Long in a blog post Monday. Long said Rosenworcel’s conclusion that the agency doesn’t have authority over streaming was correct but ignored that more competition from streaming services means the agency should roll back regulations on industries it does oversee. “Given the vast array of competitive options available to consumers, regulations premised upon that technical distinction have outlived whatever utility they once may have had and should be eliminated,” wrote Long. The “goal of the Commission in 2023 should be to identify opportunities to eliminate outdated rules that apply to traditional MVPDs, not extend them to the new entrants,” he said.