According to two sources and the chairman of the committee, the witness list for next week's Senate Commerce Committee hearing on over-the-top video will include IAC Chairman Barry Diller, who is currently in a battle with broadcasters over delivering their signals over the Internet.
The list also includes Blair Westlake of Microsoft; Susan Whiting of Nielsen; and Paul Misener from Amazon. Committee Chair Jay Rockefeller tweeted the witnesses, as he had promised Wednesday when announcing the hearing on the issue.
A number of broadcasters have filed suit against Diller over the launch of Aereo, a subscription service that allows users to watch broadcast signals on their smartphones, tablets or any Internet-enabled device.
"Everything about television is changing," said Chairman Rockefeller Wednesday of the hearing. "People are watching all sorts of programs on an assortment of platforms, at different times of the day or night and without the traditional boundaries of television channels. The digital age is fusing the television screen with the computer screen and it's important to explore this topic. I want to focus this hearing on what these changes mean for consumers, especially in rural areas, and if this evolution of video can bring them higher quality content at lower rates."
