[opendtv] Re: Controversial VMAs puts fresh spotlight on the
- From: Albert Manfredi <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 7 Sep 2013 19:38:48 -0400
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
Do you do without electricity?
Do you do without running clean water?
Exactly! These are all HEAVILY regulated utilities, and they are so for a
darned good reason. They cannot compete adequately, in any given location.
You won't get multiple sewer and water pipes through every neighborhood,
Craig. Or power lines. EVEN IF different organizations theoretically can
share the infrastructure, that monopolistic element can't be escaped. The
actual physical infrastructure.
Yet, these are necessities. So, now you're proposing that the government
start regulating MVPDs the same way? First and foremost on the monthly fees
they can charge, and on the standards they must support? Wow. Okay. Odd,
though, that you would support government regulation to protect the masses
from spending too much on mere entertainment!
Clearly the level of pain is not sufficient to cause more than 80% of
U.S. homes to change their behavior.
That's correct. That's how the free market is supposed to work. For
something as frivolous as entertainment, never mind that most people now
have access to at least a couple of MVPDs, you don't need any heavy-handed
government regulation. You let the market forces take care of themselves.
And exactly as you say, the pain is apparently not sufficient. So the MVPDs
can ask for more, and get it. (Although they are reaching their limit for an
increasing number of consumers.)
Likewise, if the politicians and regulators choose NOT to apply laws
and regulations equally, or worse, they put in place laws and
regulations that encourage monopolistic behavior,
Let's see. We still have FOTA TV. The government prevented Dish and DirecTV
from merging. The government allowed Verizon FiOS to compete as a new cabled
MVPD. The government allows the TV networks to run FOTI web sites. The
government is allowing web sites to act as MVPDs, to have access to the same
content as MVPDs. I don't see any encouragement of monopolistic behavior by
the government. The opposite, actually. In spite of this, prices remain high
for SOME of the content. I see consumers insatiable appetite, for
frivolities that the government SHOULD stay away from, as being the only
problem. Addicts feed the system. Entertainment is not like power and water.
Bert
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