NAB Praises Pai Transparency Policy, Criticizes ATSC 3.0 Draft NPRM on Tuner Mandate

NAB opposes aspects of the FCC draft notice on ATSC 3.0, said Vice President-Spectrum Policy Alison Neplokh in a blog post. “The draft asks a lot of questions about a tuner mandate, something we and our co-petitioners agree would be counter-productive to the goal of a market-based transition,” Neplokh said. CTA, one of NAB's co-petitioners on ATSC 3.0, similarly voiced concerns recently with “troubling language" in the draft notice about a TV tuner mandate (see 1702030075). Neplokh also criticized questions in the draft on retransmission consent. The retrans portions “have no bearing on enabling innovation in broadcast services, other than to stifle them,” Neplokh said. But she praised Chairman Ajit Pai's recent changes to FCC processes to make circulating items publicly available. The changes are good for commission staff and the agency itself, along with stakeholder groups, said Neplokh, a former FCC deputy chief technologist. “As a former Commission staffer, I often longed for feedback from stakeholders on the feasibility of the rules we were preparing to adopt.” Pai's rule change allows a more open feedback between staffers and stakeholders, Neplokh said. That clearer exchange of ideas will have “tangible benefits” for rules once they're passed, because rules created through a more open process are less likely to lead to petitions for reconsideration and long appeal processes, she said.