ANA Encouraged by FCC Delay of Set-Top Box Ruling

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) is pleased to see that the FCC is not rushing to judgment on the set-top box issue. As has been advocated by ANA and other industry stakeholders, including members of Congress, we hope that this means that the Commission will publish its proposal with the details before it moves forward, so that interested parties can carefully review the specific elements. We agree with the Commission that this issue merits further consideration and hope this development will allow for more public awareness of their approach and a more useful public comment process. This is a far-reaching proposal with very serious implications.

"Like the FCC, ANA is enthusiastic about the next generation of multichannel television where content will be device-agnostic. However, as we clear the way forward for the next generation of broadcast and cable, the FCC must carefully consider the contract, privacy and copyright challenges that lie ahead. Any proposal impacting the transfer of advertising content must ensure the protection of copyright agreements, especially because of the essential nature of advertising as a funding source for the exponential growth of programming in recent years. We look forward to working with the FCC on these issues on behalf of consumers and advertisers, and together to usher in the next generation of multichannel television innovation.