R Street Institute

Policy Studies Competition & Antitrust

R Street Policy Study No. 182 Updating our Laws for the Modern Video Marketplace

by Thomas Struble
Sept 30, 2019
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Key Points

STELAR made sense at the inception of satellite TV in the ’80s and ’90s, and parts continue to be important to the video economy. But key parts are outdated and need to be updated to level the playing field for all video distributors.
There are many other outdated relics in our video laws that should also be abandoned such as undue restrictions on broadcast ownership and burdensome must-carry obligations.
The video marketplace has never been more competitive than it is today. Congress should recognize this and unleash market forces by eliminating outdated video laws, while keeping the core of these laws intact.

The laws governing our video marketplace have gone almost entirely unchanged since the 1990s, despite recent technological advancements that are radically reshaping the way Americans produce, distribute and consume video content.

Press release: New Policy Study Argues Congress Should Update Laws Like STELAR for the Modern Video Marketplace

Image credit: Ivan Marc

 

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