FCC Set-Top Plan a 'Play' for Video Apps, Says O'Rielly

The FCC set-top box proposal is “a play for the FCC to get its hooks into video apps,” said Commissioner Mike O'Rielly in a speech to the New Jersey Broadcasters Association released Monday. “It would be harmful for almost every type of business involved in producing or distributing video content today.” The FCC plan (see 1606270069) would devalue content and expose it to theft, O'Rielly told the association Thursday: “The good news is that many parties, including NAB, are doing a very effective job raising these concerns in Washington. ... There is still time for the Commission to reverse its course, and I sincerely hope that it will do so.” O'Rielly also said the FCC should work to eliminate pirate radio: “The Commission must do all that it can to increase enforcement efforts and protect licensed radio stations from these insidious harmful operators.” O'Rielly said he's meeting with legislators “to change current law as it pertains to pirate radio, including addressing those people or companies that facilitate pirate stations via housing and funds, increasing the fines and penalties for violators, and easing the process for seizing pirate equipment.” O'Rielly said arguments that pirate radio addresses underserved segments of the population or provides opportunities for minorities should be disregarded. “Our society is not one in which citizens are permitted to pick and choose which laws they want to follow and ignore the others,” O'Rielly said. “We are not a candy shop.”