Who In DC Wants A Video Marketplace Check?

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Two ranking members of the House of Representatives on Friday sent a letter to Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) requesting a subcommittee hearing to evaluate the current state of the video marketplace in light of the proposed $85 billion sale of Time Warner to AT&T.


Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) state that video content “continues to be a driving force in the future of communications, pointing to exciting innovations with over-the-top video offerings. We have seen new and exciting innovations with over-the-top video offerings. As more consumers go mobile, the demand for content will continue. All of this activity generally means good things for consumers — more programs, more choices and more options on prices.”

Given the current competitive marketplace, traditional communications companies, including AT&T, are seeking to expand and diversify their holdings of content, especially video content, the members of Congress point out.

“Our role in the Energy and Commerce Committee is to provide oversight of these markets and to gain better insight on the impact on consumers,” Pallonne and Eshoo state. “Now is the time to take the opportunity to explore these issues.”