FEDERAL COMMUNI C ATIONS COMMISSION WASHI N GTO N OF F IC E OF T H E CH A IR MAN The Honorable Charles B. Rangel U.S. House ofRepresentatives 2354 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Rangel: October 26, 2016 Thank you for your letter supporting the Commission's recent actions to foster consumer choice and access to diverse programming on television, including independent, minority, and women-owned programming. As you know, on September 29, 2016, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) as a result of the public input received in response to the Notice of Inquiry adopted earlier this year on the state of diversity in the video programming market. The NPRM proposes rules that would prohibit the use of certain clauses in pay-TV programming distribution contracts that impede carriage of independent and diverse programming. The proposed rules would help remove these barriers to competition, diversity, and innovation in the video marketplace, giving independent and niche programmers greater ability to reach their intended audiences. The proposed rules potentially could provide consumers with more choice in the sources and variety of their video programming, greater flexibility in how they access program content, and lower prices for their video programming services. Once the comment period has ended, Commission staff will review the full record and make recommendations on the next steps in this proceeding. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMI S SION WASHINGTON O F FIC E OF TH E C H A I R MAN The Honorable Ted Lieu U.S. House ofRepresentatives 415 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congresswoman Lieu: October 26, 2016 Thank you for your letter supporting the Commission's recent actions to foster consumer choice and access to diverse programming on television, including independent, minority, and women-owned programming. As you know, on September 29, 2016, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemalcing (NPRM) as a result of the public input received in response to the Notice oflnquiry adopted earlier this year on the state of diversity in the video programming market. The NPRM proposes rules that would prohibit the use of certain clauses in pay-TV programming distribution contracts that impede carriage of independent and diverse programming. The proposed rules would help remove these barriers to competition, diversity, and innovation in the video marketplace, giving independent and niche programmers greater ability to reach their intended audiences. The proposed rules potentially could provide consumers with more choice in the sources and variety of their video programming, greater flexibility in how they access program content, and lower prices for their video programming services. Once the comment period has ended, Commission staff will review the full record and make recommendations on the next steps in this proceeding. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, FEDERA L COMMUNICATIONS COMM ISS ION WASHINGTO N O F FIC E O F T HE CHA IR MAN The Honorable Barbara Lee U.S. House of Representatives 2267 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Lee: October 26, 2016 Thank you for your letter supporting the Commission's recent actions to foster consumer choice and access to diverse programming on television, including independent, minority, and women-owned programming. As you know, on September 29,2016, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) as a result of the public input received in response to the Notice oflnquiry adopted earlier this year on the state of diversity in the video programming market. The NPRM proposes rules that would prohibit the use of certain clauses in pay-TV programming distribution contracts that impede carriage of independent and diverse programming. The proposed rules would help remove these barriers to competition, diversity, and innovation in the video marketplace, giving independent and niche programmers greater ability to reach their intended audiences. The proposed rules potentially could provide consumers with more choice in the sources and variety of their video programming, greater flexibility in how they access program content, and lower prices for their video programming services. Once the comment period has ended, Commission staff will review the full record and make recommendations on the next steps in this proceeding. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Your views are very important and will be included in the record ofthe proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON O FF IC E O F THE CH AI R MAN The Honorable Ted Deutch U.S. House ofRepresentatives 244 7 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Deutch: October 26, 2016 Thank you for your letter supporting the Commission's recent actions to foster consumer choice and access to diverse programming on television, including independent, minority, and women-owned programming. As you know, on September 29,2016, the Commission adopted a Notice ofProposed Rulemaking (NPRM) as a result of the public input received in response to the Notice of Inquiry adopted earlier this year on the state of diversity in the video programming market. The NPRM proposes rules that would prohibit the use of certain clauses in pay-TV programming distribution contracts that impede carriage of independent and diverse programming. The proposed rules would help remove these barriers to competition, diversity, and innovation in the video marketplace, giving independent and niche programmers greater ability to reach their intended audiences. The proposed rules potentially could provide consumers with more choice in the sources and variety of their video programming, greater flexibility in how they access program content, and lower prices for their video programming services. Once the comment period has ended, Commission staff will review the full record and make recommendations on the next steps in this proceeding. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. ~ Sffic=ly, ~~- ~eeler FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHI N GTO N O FF I CE OF THE CH AI R MA N October 26, 2016 The Honorable Joseph Crowley U.S. House of Representatives 1436 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Crowley: Thank you for your letter supporting the Commission's recent actions to foster consumer choice and access to diverse programming on television, including independent, minority, and women-owned programming. As you know, on September 29, 2016, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) as a result of the public input received in response to the Notice of Inquiry adopted earlier this year on the state of diversity in the video programming market. The NPRM proposes rules that would prohibit the use of certain clauses in pay-TV programming distribution contracts that impede carriage of independent and diverse programming. The proposed rules would help remove these barriers to competition, diversity, and innovation in the video marketplace, giving independent and niche programmers greater ability to reach their intended audiences. The proposed rules potentially could provide consumers with more choice in the sources and variety of their video programming, greater flexibility in how they access program content, and lower prices for their video programming services. Once the comment period has ended, Commission staff will review the full record and make recommendations on the next steps in this proceeding. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION W A SHINGTO N OFFICE O F TH E C H A I RMAN The Honorable Karen Bass U.S. House of Representatives 408 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congresswoman Bass: October 26, 2016 Thank you for your letter supporting the Commission's recent actions to foster consumer choice and access to diverse programming on television, including independent, minority, and women-owned programming. As you know, on September 29, 2016, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) as a result of the public input received in response to the Notice of Inquiry adopted earlier this year on the state of diversity in the video programming market. The NPRM proposes rules that would prohibit the use of certain clauses in pay-TV programming distribution contracts that impede carriage of independent and diverse programming. The proposed rules would help remove these barriers to competition, diversity, and innovation in the video marketplace, giving independent and niche programmers greater ability to reach their intended audiences. The proposed rules potentially could provide consumers with more choice in the sources and variety of their video programming, greater flexibility in how they access program content, and lower prices for their video programming services. Once the comment period has ended, Commission staff will review the full record and make recommendations on the next steps in this proceeding. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission's review. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. FEDER A L COMMUNICAT IONS COMMISS ION W A SHI N GTON O F F ICE O F T H E C H A I RMAN The Honorable Adam B. Schiff U.S. House ofRepresentatives 2411 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Schiff: October 26, 2016 Thank you for your letter supporting the Commission's recent actions to foster consumer choice and access to diverse programming on television, including independent, minority, and women-owned programming. As you know, on September 29, 2016, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) as a result of the public input received in response to the Notice of Inquiry adopted earlier this year on the state of diversity in the video programming market. The NPRM proposes rules that would prohibit the use of certain clauses in pay-TV programming distribution contracts that impede carriage of independent and diverse programming. The proposed rules would help remove these barriers to competition, diversity, and innovation in the video marketplace, giving independent and niche programmers greater ability to reach their intended audiences. The proposed rules potentially could provide consumers with more choice in the sources and variety of their video programming, greater flexibility in how they access program content, and lower prices for their video programming services. Once the comment period has ended, Commission staff will review the full record and make recommendations on the next steps in this proceeding. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Your views are very important and will be included in the record of the proceeding and considered as part of the Commission' s review. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely,