Back to the future? A proposed FCC rule change could level the playing field for TV in a way not seen since this Philco model was introduced in the 1970's.
Way back in 1934, the government statute establishing the Federal Communications Commission required broadcasters to serve the "public interest, convenience and necessity." As a practical matter, those considerations seem to have been out the window for a while, as cable TV wielded its gatekeeper power and outlets big and small have had to adapt or die. But is the tide turning?
In his official blog, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler announced his agency was taking the first step "to open access to cable programs as well as local television" with the help of Internet technology. "Consumers have long complained about how their cable service forces them to buy channels they never watch," Wheeler says. "The move of video onto the Internet can do something about that frustration." Courtesy The Verge.