If courts decide the streamer of over-the-air TV isn't breaching copyright, proposed legislation would keep hefty content fees out of Aereo's costs. It's one facet of a bill Sen. Jay Rockefeller says will make online video more competitive. November 12, 2013 9:54 AM PST Aereo's arrays of tiny antennae let consumers watch live, local television broadcasts online. (Credit: Aereo) West Virginia Democrat Sen. Jay Rockefeller plans to introduce a bill Tuesday he said will foster online video, decrease consumer costs and increase video-content choice and quality. It will also help Aereo to survive if the company, which streams over-the-air local broadcasts to subscribers, fends of copyright allegations in court. Related stories Aereo to launch in Denver as it scampers to year-end goal DirecTV, Time Warner consider Aereo-like service, report says Aereo launches its first Android app in public beta Aereo to motor into Detroit on October 28 Broadcasters petition Supreme Court in Aereo fight Rockefeller is set to introduce his Consumer Choice in Online Video Act at 11 a.m. PT. It will clarify that antenna-rental services like Aereo, if found to be copyright legal, wouldn't be subject to the same retransmission fees broadcast networks have been extracting from pay-TV operators, according to Senate Commerce Committee aides. Rockefeller is on the committee. If the bill were to become law, it also would improve itemization on broadband customers' bills, prevent broadband operators' from degrade online video services that compete with their own, and limit provisions in media companies' carriage contract with TV distributors from harming growth of online video, according to a release from the senator and aides. It would set up a system for online video providers to negotiate with local broadcast stations and the networks to get their programming. The wide-ranging bill touches on a number of pressure points in the television industry today -- a la carte pricing of channels, net neutrality, Aereo -- but such a bill also faces challenges on its path to becoming law. Legislation proposed by Sen. John McCain earlier this year to force cable operators to offer their channels piecemeal rather than in bundles, but little progress has been heard about the effort in months.
If courts decide the streamer of over-the-air TV isn't breaching copyright, proposed legislation would keep hefty content fees out of Aereo's costs. It's one facet of a bill Sen. Jay Rockefeller says will make online video more competitive.
Aereo's arrays of tiny antennae let consumers watch live, local television broadcasts online.
(Credit: Aereo)
West Virginia Democrat Sen. Jay Rockefeller plans to introduce a bill Tuesday he said will foster online video, decrease consumer costs and increase video-content choice and quality.
It will also help Aereo to survive if the company, which streams over-the-air local broadcasts to subscribers, fends of copyright allegations in court.
Related stories
- Aereo to launch in Denver as it scampers to year-end goal
- DirecTV, Time Warner consider Aereo-like service, report says
- Aereo launches its first Android app in public beta
- Aereo to motor into Detroit on October 28
- Broadcasters petition Supreme Court in Aereo fight
Rockefeller is set to introduce his Consumer Choice in Online Video Act at 11 a.m. PT. It will clarify that antenna-rental services like Aereo, if found to be copyright legal, wouldn't be subject to the same retransmission fees broadcast networks have been extracting from pay-TV operators, according to Senate Commerce Committee aides. Rockefeller is on the committee.
If the bill were to become law, it also would improve itemization on broadband customers' bills, prevent broadband operators' from degrade online video services that compete with their own, and limit provisions in media companies' carriage contract with TV distributors from harming growth of online video, according to a release from the senator and aides. It would set up a system for online video providers to negotiate with local broadcast stations and the networks to get their programming.
The wide-ranging bill touches on a number of pressure points in the television industry today -- a la carte pricing of channels, net neutrality, Aereo -- but such a bill also faces challenges on its path to becoming law. Legislation proposed by Sen. John McCain earlier this year to force cable operators to offer their channels piecemeal rather than in bundles, but little progress has been heard about the effort in months.
