[opendtv] Re: CBS blackout ends for 4 million Dish Network customers following Thanksgiving truce
- From: Craig Birkmaier <brewmastercraig@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2017 08:49:06 -0500
On Nov 24, 2017, at 10:46 PM, Manfredi, Albert E
<albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
This would be just another one of those "who cares" stories seen time and
time again, except for the fact that this FCC is trying really hard to create
this problem over the Internet too.
NO Bert, you have it exactly BACKWARDS.
The Wheeler FCC moved to stick their nose into this type of blackmail in 2014,
a year before the Title II decision:
http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/fcc-proposing-defininglinear-ovds-mvpds/384279
FCC Proposes Defining 'Linear' OVDs as MVPDs
According to multiple sources, the FCC is working on an item that would
define an online video provider (OVD) that delivers a linear stream of
programming as an MVPD, similar to a cable or satellite operator. That means
it would have access to content through the FCC's program access rules, but
also have to negotiate retransmission-consent with broadcasters.
The idea is that over-the top providers would have an FCC-enforced access to
vertically integrated programming.
This NPRM never resulted in the regulations that were proposed to give OTT
VMVPDs the same access to linear programming as was provided to the DBS system
in order to enable them to compete with cable.
However, after two decades of failing to implement the mandate to open the
market for MVPD STBs as required by the 1996 Communications Act, the FCC moved
to create an open STB platform for BOTH MVPDs and OTT services. The NPRM
included a number of regulations that would have given the FCC the ability to
regulate OTT services.
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-16-18A1.pdf
Although the NPRM seems focused on cable and DBS, the proposed rules could
allow OTT boxes to access cable and DBS, and give the FCC another back door to
regulate TV over the Internet as described here by Wired:
https://www.wired.com/2016/02/fcc-set-top-box-rules/
Fortunately none of this reached the level of FCC regulation. And there is
NOTHING that the FCC is proposing in the current Net Neutrality proceeding that
would allow them to impose the program access rules and retransmission consent
rules on VMVPDs.
By the way, another point I wanted to make, just how absurd is it, for a
public official, to claim that comments from the public can be ignored?
Whatever his half-baked excuse, that's really a crazy thing to say. He should
be reprimanded for being so unpolitic. Nothing should matter more than public
comments. Who does he think he is, anyway?
Not absurd at all. As explained, the comment only expressed opinions, they did
not provide any factual information related to the issues addressed in the NPRM.
And yet, in spite of these examples of complete and inexcusable cluelessness,
the VERY vast majority want neutrality GUARANTEES.
Correct. We have been through this in great detail since the NPRM was issued in
May. This is no different than the opinions that existed prior to the Title II
decision. The principles of Net Neutrality are strongly supported by everyone
involved. The issues is not whether we should have Net Neutrality, but how it
should be defined and who should enforce it.
As I have reminded you repeatedly, the majority of consumers DO NOT want the
FCC to regulate ISPs under Title II as a telecom service.
Not the sort of nonsense that creates a CBS blackout on Dish. Our FCC
Chairman does not think that matters, and is perfectly happy to have your
bank blacked out on your ISP network, until they can negotiate how much extra
the ISP will charge the user, to reach a bank that is not to the ISP's liking.
This is pure crap. Pai has never said anything of the sort, and when we see the
proposed rules Wednesday you will learn that most of the fear mongering has no
legitimate basis.
Regards
Craig
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