OTT-as-MVPD Could Lead to Unintended Consequences, Amazon Says

Be wary of unintended consequences when considering expanding the definition of multichannel video programming (MVPD) distributors to include aspects of over-the-top (OTT), Amazon said in an FCC ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 14-261. It recapped meetings between a variety of Amazon executives -- including Brian Huseman, director-public policy, and Bradley Beale, vice president-content acquisition -- and Media Bureau representatives and staffers from the offices of Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Mignon Clyburn, Michael O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel. At those meetings, Amazon said the expanded MVPD definition could even include Amazon since it owns live streaming video gaming service Twitch.tv, which could be considered a channel under the OTT-as-MVPD NPRM, which would make it subject to programming access regulation. "Such unintended consequences could be highly damaging, inadvertently causing the government to significantly distort a new and alternative video segment that is growing and flourishing without any government intervention," Amazon said. That NPRM isn't likely to lead to an order anytime soon, as the proceeding is seen as stalled (see 1510230025).