Politics 12 edited

Upton, Walden Welcome Court Decision Brushing Back FCC Intervention in Program Carriage Negotiation

The following press release was published by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on May 29, 2013. It is reproduced in full below.

WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) today applauded the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) recent intervention in program carriage negotiations. Upton and Walden spearheaded a bipartisan letter to the FCC in July 2012 expressing concerns with the agency’s actions.

“The D.C. Circuit’s decision to overturn the FCC’s meddling in program carriage negotiations is welcome news," said Upton and Walden. “As we and 32 of our colleagues explained in a bipartisan letter last year, American viewers have unprecedented choice in the content they watch, the services that deliver it, and the devices that display it. In a dynamic market characterized by increased competition, rapidly developing technologies, and evolving business models, government intervention typically increases costs for consumers and reduces innovation. Our hope is that Acting Chairwoman Clyburn and her eventual successor will take note of this decision and begin reducing the agency’s intervention in the television marketplace."

Source: House Committee on Energy and Commerce