CTA: Hill Commerce Leaders Should Oppose ATSC 3.0 Mandate
The Consumer Technology Association wants House and Senate Commerce committee leadership to oppose NAB’s petition to the FCC on the ATSC 3.0 transition, CTA CEO Gary Shapiro said in a letter to legislators Tuesday. The letter was sent to Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and House Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J. Comments on the NAB petition were due Wednesday in docket 16-142.
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“Forcing all TV manufacturers to include an ATSC 3.0 tuner -- regardless of consumer demand -- is an anti-free market and unwelcome tax on consumers,” Shapiro wrote. “NAB increasingly asks for government favors, mandates on others, and release from pro-competition ownership caps, while fighting against efforts to require that broadcasters pay artists and musicians." Before reversing itself in the most recent petition, NAB had for years said it was opposed to a tuner mandate, and the NAB-led "Future of Television Initiative Report" in January didn’t recommend one, CTA pointed out. The “very foundation” of the original industry petition from NAB, CTA and others asking the FCC to allow 3.0 broadcasting “was that manufacturers and broadcasters would have the flexibility to introduce NEXTGEN TV at a pace dictated by market demand,” Shapiro wrote.
Tariffs on tech products are already increasing costs on consumers, and requiring ATSC 3.0 tuners in TVs will make them more expensive, CTA said. With the White House and FCC “prioritizing regulatory reduction, it would be counterproductive to adopt new mandates that decrease flexibility and increase costs.” NAB didn't comment.