Don't Let Charter Escape BNH, TWC Conditions, Roku Asks FCC

Roku opposed Charter's request the FCC end some conditions on the cable operator's past purchases of Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable, requirements the cabler says are no longer in the public interest. Replies were posted through Friday in docket 16-197. "The bases for the safeguards" were "Charter’s incentives to act anti-competitively post-merger and the absence of viable competition" for broadband, Roku said. "Charter’s petition for relief mentions neither." Roku said those contending the operator's "charitable donations and community involvement might temper Charter’s incentive and ability to act in its own economic self-interest by discriminating against Online Video Distributors" ignore "Charter’s role as a gatekeeper for OVDs and as a monopoly in many broadband access markets." Charter "provided copious data that the marketplace for streaming video" has "exploded" since the 2016 conditions, it replied. "This is exactly what the Commission predicted might happen" when it included "a mechanism to sunset them after five years (instead of automatically after seven)," it noted. A footnote in an attachment by NERA Economic Consulting Managing Director Jeffrey Eisenach said Roku is the most streamed U.S. OVD by hours (see report, Aug. 7 issue). Charter wants to end data caps and interconnection conditions in May (see 2007090009).