STATEMENT OF 
COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL
Re: Promoting Innovation and Competition in the Provision of Multichannel Video Programming 
Distribution Services, MB Docket No. 14-261.
The future of watching video does not look like the past.  That’s because over the next few years, 
television will change more than it has over the last several decades.  
The way we watch will change—where we watch, when we watch, and how we watch.  
Families huddling together in one room basking in the glow of a single screen will give way to gatherings 
with many screens and multiple programs.  I know.  It is already happening with my family in my 
home—and it is surely happening in countless others just like it, all across the country.  
While online video has arrived, it is still in the early stages of development.  The world’s largest 
media companies and smallest upstarts are experimenting with innovative programming, business models, 
and pricing.  As a result, the video market is evolving at a breathtaking pace, driven by both new 
technology and changing consumer expectations.  
At the Commission we have an obligation to promote competition in the delivery of video 
services.  We have the authority to update our rules to reflect the fact that video services are being offered 
over new platforms.  We have the authority to interpret the statutory term multichannel video 
programming distributor (MVPD) to include providers of multiple streams of linear, over-the-top 
television.  But I believe acknowledging authority is only the start of our inquiry.  We also need to 
consider if we should alter our rules—and how.  That’s because our answer will impact the kind of video 
offerings that come to the market, the speed with which they arrive, and the prices consumers pay.  
For this reason, I want to thank Chairman Wheeler and my colleagues for accommodating my 
request that this rulemaking seek comment on allowing, under certain circumstances, the ability to elect 
MVPD status.  New service types are emerging fast—faster than any rulemaking process at this agency.  
What new video models succeed, what degree of self-curated viewing they enable, and what prices 
consumers are willing to pay are still up for grabs.  If this kind of election can be administered easily, new 
providers would be able to avoid the legal conundrum involved in determining the regulatory status of 
novel services, seeking regulatory exemption, or pursuing a waiver of our rules before launching in the 
market.  Moreover, this could be an elegant compromise for new services—between those who believe 
we should steer clear of policies for Internet-distributed video and those who believe clear rules are 
essential to get their service off the ground.
I look forward to the record that develops in response to the many questions in this rulemaking.  
But more than that, I look forward to the wide range of innovative video services that are developing.  
The future of watching—anytime and anywhere—is bound to be exciting.