FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has put forth a proposal that would ?change the regulations that preclude Internet companies from becoming ?multi-channel video providers? (MVPDs), such as cable and satellite TV providers.? If adopted, this proposed change would mean that Internet-based companies could offer ?television? services like cable, satellite and fiber-optic companies. In other words, Amazon, Google or Aereo would be on an equal footing with Comcast, DirecTV and Verizon FiOS.
This is the latest in a flurry of moves that threaten to disrupt television business. If enacted, the FCC Chairman?s proposal could help compensate for possible consolidation in the TV business: Comcast is trying to close its deal for Time Warner, while AT&T wants DirecTV. Those deals need regulatory approval.
Meanwhile, HBO and CBS leapfrogged the tangle of cables, fiber and satellite dishes by announcing their own direct-to-consumer OTT (Over-the-top: online, not connected to cable or satellite) services.
All of these moves may serve to accelerate cord-cutting and/or the programming bundles that so many consumers complain about. Mashable 
reports more on Chairman Wheeler?s comments and what this might mean for the future of television.