[opendtv] FCC reverses itself on MVPD bulk billing
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 16:16:50 -0600
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-35A1.pdf
Looks like the FCC now permits exclusive arrangements from a given MVPD in
apartment complexes. Arguing that while this may deter competition from other
MVPDs, there is nothing preventing a resident from paying the basic fee for the
mandatory MVPD, then in addition paying, for example, for DBS in addition.
"Bulk billing," as explained, is where the apartment complex gets charged a
basic fee directly from the exclusive MVPD, presumably distributes that cost to
all the apartments (through rent or condo fee?), and then each unit can also
request premium services individually.
-----------------------
III. DISCUSSION
9. First, we conclude that the benefits to consumers of bulk billing
arrangements outweigh their harms. The record shows that bulk billing, although
it can harm some MDU residents, benefits far more of them. In the large
majority of cases, bulk billing appears to lower prices, increase the volume
and variety of programming, encourage high quality and innovation, and bring
video, voice, and data services to MDU residents. Second, we have been able to
identify no significant harmful effects that exclusive marketing arrangements
have on MDU residents, and they appear to confer some benefits on MDU residents
by making information about video services and any related services easily
available to them.
-----------------------
Not that this has any bearing on bundled tiered services per se, but how much
does anyone wanna bet that this FCC will not oppose bundling tiers either, as
the previous FCC had tried to do (with some embarrassing e-mail threads popping
out about that)?
This, in part, is also what FOTA TV is up against. Institutionalized bias, even
from the feds.
Bert
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