[opendtv] Bundling and competition
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2013 23:23:47 +0000
Trying this again. Got one of those ecartis errors.
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> The phone and cable wires are just that: WIRES.
Yes, but individual households cannot credibly subscribe to any one of a large
assortment of these utilities. I can choose any number of supermarkets I go to,
and change the one I deal with as often as I want. Not the same thing for
water/sewer or wired Internet/telephone service. Not until this becomes
wireless, anyway. At which point, I would agree, no heavy regulation would be
needed anymore.
> Try making your case again when SOMEONE, ANYONE lets you put together
> an ala carte TV package with access to ANY content.
As you know, everything I watch is a la carte, so obviously, the situation is
not so dire. The only question you should be asking is, who is forcing this
bundling to take place? The content owners? NO PROBLEM. It's their right. The
MVPDs? Hmm, I would find that problematic, but there's an easy way out - cut
the cord. The FCC? No, that would be unacceptable.
Oh, it's *not* the FCC. Ergo, no problem.
> What is competitive about any of these [FOTI] sites?
The other way around. What's NOT competitive? As long as a content owner
decides to make the content available on the Internet, I can get it. I don't
see ABC preventing CBS from making available online anything CBS wants to make
available. I don't see Verizon telling me I can't watch content from RAI. I
don't see the FCC preventing me from getting this content either. The only
people keeping content away are the OWNERS OF the content. Which, of course, is
fair game.
> but the Internet allows these new entrants to completely bypass the
> MVPDs and go direct to the consumer.
>
> I would think you would champion the latter approach,
I was just pointing out one of your inconsistencies, that's all. Using the
Internet is indeed better, for struggling producers, but before the Internet,
their only hope was bundling.
> You have chosen NOT to care about the content you cannot watch, or
> waiting for a delayed release;
That's what elasticity means, Craig! For instance, I haven't been able to
follow "Person of Interest," this past year, as FOTI VOD. I guess CBS is
holding it for MVPDs and FOTA only. Fine. Did I run out and get a subscription
to Cox? No. I just watched something else.
Ditto with CNN. They don't have a live stream FOTA or FOTI. Do I run out and
subscribe to Cox? Nope. I watch France 24 and others instead. Competition means
that you don't prevent the other guy from selling a product that competes with
yours. Elasticity means you investigate alternatives. Addiction means you make
yourself believe you have no alternatives, when you do.
Bert
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