[opendtv] Re: Amazon Warns FCC About OTT Redefinition | Multichannel
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 01:48:20 +0000
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
You don't seriously think that Wheeler will back down on the MVPD
NPRM...
Do You?
Perhaps not, but it won't amount to much. It's a bit like those who *assume*
that in order to create an OTT site, offering content from the big TV networks,
the only option is to get retrans consent from the broadcasters. Why? That was
a solution that made sense in pre-satellite CATV days, which strangely lasted
through the MVPD days. But by then, it didn't make any technical sense anymore.
And it makes even less sense now. You want to stream CBS content in your OTT
site? Go directly to Moonves! Just as you'd do for A&E, ESPN, or any other
channel.
I see the FCC going this VMVPD route as part of that same phenomenon. It's
people who can't think beyond the way they used to do things. You know, can't
make that "paradigm shift."
Of course we could say exactly the same thing about the need for
Title II regulation of the Internet.
No, we can't. Reason being, the same (potential) problem exists now over the
Internet, as existed 100+ years ago on telephone nets. The MVPD model is not
needed over an unwalled 2-way network. It's just pointless. Any content owner
can peddle his wares to everyone in the country, or world, as he chooses. No
need for the govt to ensure that the citizens have access to this stuff, by
managing the inevitable collusion between content owner and monopoly
distribution pipe. That monopoly link in the chain is gone.
BUT, neutrality of the infrastructure is MANDATORY, if we are to avoid
recurrence of exactly the same problems. You have yet to explain what intrinsic
market-based mechanism would prevent the recurrence of the old walled garden
issue, if the Internet were NOT mandated to be neutral.
I repeat: as soon as the Internet became fast enough to offer competition for
TV services the ISP/MVPDs offered separately, *that's* when the problems of
neutrality first appeared. It was not by accident, Craig. It was entirely
obvious that this would happen. You need to explain EXACTLY why you don't think
this was obvious. Not vague words.
Bert
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