STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN
Re:  Expanding Consumer’s Video Navigation Choices, MB Docket No. 16-42; Commercial 
Availability of Navigation Devices, CS Docket No. 97-80.
In 1996, Congress added Section 629 to the Communications Act, which mandated this agency to 
take steps toward ensuring that a competitive navigation device market exists for access to multichannel 
video programming. While prior Commission attempts in this area have been less than successful, 
standardization and technological advancements have made it easier to introduce competition and 
innovation into the set top box market. While these developments have resulted in some competition, 
consumers deserve more.
Today’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, seeks to give consumers more control, in how they 
access the video services they subscribe to. It also attempts to promote innovation in the display, selection 
and use of this programming. In short, choice. It would allow for the development of more user-friendly 
interfaces, opening the market to additional platforms that are not strictly under the purview and 
management of a single distributor. 
Today, 99% of pay-TV customers rent a set top box from an MVPD at a cost that exceeds $200 
per year. While the costs of other technologies have fallen as competition increased, the cost of the set top 
box has risen by more than three times the rate of inflation for American pay-TV subscribers over the 
same period.  
This item proposes, not adopts, but proposes, to provide a technology neutral means for 
consumers to choose how they interact with the multichannel video programming services they pay for.  
If a consumer wishes to purchase a device or application to access this programming, this proposal will 
empower that choice.  If a consumer chooses to continue to rent a box or app from their MVPD, they have 
the option to do that too.  This item does not propose a specific technical standard, like the AllVid 
proposal that the Commission considered in 2010.  Instead, a standard setting body, in consultation with 
those affected, would lay out technical specifications enabling manufacturers, retailers, and companies 
including the cable or satellite providers, to build and design navigation devices.
There has been much discussion recently, about how and if this proposal will affect content 
diversity, with some expressing concern that it could lead to decreases in the levels of diverse 
programming choices.  Sadly, we are only speaking about a paltry number of diverse channels can be 
found over these systems today, but for the handful of those that have had success in being carried by an 
MVPD, I see no legitimate business or economic reason why this item should make their programming or 
the relationship with the distributor any more vulnerable than their counterparts.  What I hope will occur 
is that creators of content who have been unable to get MVPD carriage may soon have a means to reach 
consumers directly.  Similar to the way that Internet searches provide consumers with information from 
various sources, a competitive solution with improved search functionality could allow consumers to find 
programming that is available over-the-top, something you cannot do with today's set top boxes.  These 
developments should result in consumers having a wider range of options.
I thank the Media Bureau for their hard work on today’s item, especially the efforts of Brendan 
Murray and Lyle Elder.