NAB Lobbies FCC on VMPVDs, ATSC 3.0, and Geotargeted Radio
The FCC should consider developments in the streaming marketplace, investigate filings in the geotargeted radio proceeding and prioritize ATSC 3.0, NAB said in meetings with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr last week, per an ex parte…
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filing posted in docket 20-401 Tuesday. The FCC should gauge the evolution of the streaming market and “determine whether those events affect the Commission’s calculus in determining whether virtual MVPDs (vMVPDs) should be deemed to be MVPDs,” said NAB. Investigate the geotargeted radio filings “given the apparent fraud in the record,” a reference to multiple ex parte filings from broadcasters supporting Zonecasting that were later retracted, it said. “No licensee should be represented without its consent or without knowing that its representative has a direct financial interest in the outcome of the proceeding,” NAB said, asking the agency to remove those filings from the record and “swiftly take other appropriate action so as to not unfairly prejudice its deliberations.” Geotargeted radio company GeoBroadcast Solutions is using those filings “to manufacture a schism within the radio industry, claiming falsely that they demonstrate that larger broadcast groups are not on the same page with smaller ones,” NAB said. GBS didn’t comment. On 3.0. “a relatively straightforward proceeding to address the licensing of multicast streams hosted temporarily on other stations has been pending for approximately two years,” NAB said. “Expeditious resolution of this matter, as well as other pending issues, are critical to keeping the transition moving forward.”