HANDS OFF MY TV

IP TV officially arrived on the regulatory radar screen last week when FCC Chairman Michael Powell made mention of it after a speech to the newly formed Federation for Economically Rational Utility Policy. In the grand Washington DC tradition, Powell stated the obvious by noting that every large telco is now pushing toward delivering broadcast and Internet content over IP to the nation's televisions. Powell's follow-up comment, though, where he said it was unclear what regulatory obligations, such as serving the public interest, should apply to IP TV should be cause for concern. The only public interest obligation broadband carriers pushing video should be required to follow is offering up a PEG (public, education, government) channel or two. Given the advantageous environment CLECs were allowed to launch less than a decade ago — and considering IP TV providers will start off with virtually no market share — one could even fathom that such requirements are too onerous. Every regulator also needs to recognize that television and broadcast in general is entertainment, not a universal service. Even in cases where the content is the Internet and could be considered education or of general public interest, regulators would do their best work by simply stepping back. Delivering Internet content via the TV is something that has seen enough fits and starts that it doesn't need regulation ensuring its doom.