[opendtv] Re: Philips adds Net TV to new televisions
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 09:04:45 -0500
At 5:26 PM -0500 3/3/09, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
There you go, assuming the old rules must apply. So ask yourself, how
come this is not the case in European countries, not even Germany, where
cable is also used by the majority of households.
We've been through the history many times. Suffice it to say that in
Germany consumers can rely on cable or FTA as both carry the same
content.
My going in position is, *if* the FCC wants to retain FOTA broadcasting
in the USA, which especially their new leftie mantra claims they want,
*then* they will have to take the shackles off OTA, as they have never
burdened the MVPDs with those same shackles. One of the biggest being,
remove the national cap.
What makes you think the networks WANT to operate TV stations all
over this country?
They are already moving to devalue their O&O stations and would move
to cable in a heartbeat if they thought they could get away with it
(with the politicians). Instead, they will do an end run and keep the
FTA system on life support at the bottom of the distribution food
chain.
The fact that most households will stick with their MVPDs is *precisely*
why the network has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by
transmitting whatever it chooses on the OTA pipe. They get increased ad
revenue from the OTA pipe, and they won't lose any MVPD subscribers
anyway, and the OTA medium is cheaper to run (when the FCC fixes its
archaic rules).
NO BERT. They will get increased ad revenue by moving to cable where
they will not need to give affiliates valuable ad inventory. And they
will be able to justify higher subscriber fees, perhaps giving the
cable systems the opportunity to insert a few ads to help pay for the
higher subscriber fees.
And remember, operating a nationwide network of transmitters is NOT
CHEAP. Why bother when they can just feed the head-ends directly via
the same satellites they are using today?
Let local broadcasters pay the power bills and try to make a few
bucks with delayed runs of the network programming.
Programming transmitted over a labor-intensive medium like cable needs
to be compensated at a higher rate. Not to create bigger profits, but to
pay for all those trucks and all those people. The OTA medium ought to
come in much lower cost, were it not for the affiliate arrangements
necessary.
Not true.
Cable bills include revenues to support both the physical and support
infrastructure, which is ALSO supported via Triple Play services -
broadband and telephone. And these bills pass along 100% of all
subscriber fees - in fact they may be charging subscribers more than
they pay out.
A horse and buggy may cost less to operate per mile than an
automobile. Consumers decide these things, and MVPDs are clearly the
popular choice.
> Bottom line, the OTA franchise is taking its "natural place"
in the content distribution food chain...
Yup. The "natural place" is less choice, and lower operating costs, but
of the same quality as what's offered over the MVPDs.
That's how it should and could be, anyway, were it not for
counterproductive FCC rules and lobbyists pushing to tether everyone.
Qualty a subjective. I moved to cable when they began to offer more
programming with the kind of quality I am interested in. The networks
moved away from me with their trashy programming and political
activism.
Regards
Craig
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