Amazon execs, in meeting this week with FCC officials, said they support having MVPDs include measurement technology into the apps they create under an FCC proposal for boosting third-party navigation devices and apps in competition to leased set-top boxes.
That is according to a filing with the FCC.
The commission has been meeting with stakeholders this week as FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler tweaks his set-top proposal in advance of a planned Sept. 29 vote.
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In the summary of the meetings, Amazon said it noted that the National Association of Broadcasters and others had asked the FCC not to do anything to impede the ability of broadcasters to measure their viewing audiences, the majority of which are viewed over a pay service rather than over-the-air, though that pendulum has been swinging back thanks to cord cutters.
In its comments, NAB said it was imperative that the FCC "require MVPDs to incorporate Measurement Technology in all applications or other interfaces through which subscribers access on a device (e.g.,computer, handheld, mobile or portable, connected device), multichannel video programming or on-demand content containing advertising, such that all transmissions of multichannel video programming accessed through such application or other interface are measurable by such Measurement Technology."
Nielsen, for example, places an audio watermark in broadcast and cable programming that can be read by Peoplemeters and code readers to identify what a viewer is watching.
Nielsen has also told the FCC it should explicitly require that any measurement technology used by content owners be included and passed through by any app or set-top.
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Amazon did not use the word require, but it otherwise associated itself with that request.
"Amazon understands the importance of audience measurement and recognizes the basis for this concern. Accordingly, Amazon encourages the Commission to afford for MVPD incorporation of measurement technology into their apps," the company said. NAB had no comment.
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Amazon has had questions about the FCC set-top proposal, and still has issues, according to the filing, expressing "concern that the proposed licensing and industry group process could delay competition and customer choice," but also offered approaches (Wheeler said he is open to tweaks and adjustments and is talking with stakeholders this week about them) that could garner their support.
