Testifying at a public forum of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Susan Whiting, Vice Chair of The Nielsen Company, urged the body to tread carefully in evaluating the need for regulating emerging online and mobile video platforms.
“The FCC should proceed cautiously in evaluating the need for regulation,” said Whiting. “Consumers increasingly choose to view their favorite shows from many different sources and incorporate media in their lives in many new ways. Content owners need flexibility to adapt to these changes and meet consumer demand across all platforms.”
Whiting appeared as part of a panel about online video distribution considerations at a FCC forum in Chicago regarding the proposed merger of NBC Universal and Comcast. While taking no position on the proposed merger, Whiting briefed the commission on the evolving media landscape by sharing Nielsen’s data on video consumption by the American public in an effort to give it a better understanding of the current and future market for video content.
“Over the last four years, we have seen the continuing increase in the integration of media platforms for the distribution and consumption of video. Consumers want and expect to get video when they want it, where they want it and are willing to use whatever devices works best for them,” concluded Whiting.
Download Susan Whiting’s complete prepared remarks to the FCC.
Read Nielsen’s most recent Three Screen report.
