[opendtv] Re: How Many Strikes Until They're Out?
- From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 10:22:02 -0700
Actually, since I am refreshing your 'memory' did you subsequently remember
that network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity did not come about
(effectively) until the late 1970's?
Marshall Herskowitz, the guy behind "Quarterlife" (and, with others, "My So
Called Life" and "Thirtysomething" among other television programs) would
beg to differ with you on what FinSyn had to do with. I heard an interview
with him a month or two back where he mentioned quite prominently that
'everything changed' with HIS BUSINESS when FinSyn came into effect in 1994.
But, I suspect you think you know more about the production/distribution
business than does he.
So, now that Time-Warner owns one tv station (WTBS) broadcast is a big part
of their business, but it wasn't a big part of their business when they
owned zero television stations?
How about when they owned KGTV San Diego, WRGB, KERO Bakersfield, KMGH
Denver and channe 6 in Indianapolis? They were called Time, Inc. back then,
had no cable channels, owned scattered cable systems, and their TV arm was
called Time-Life Stations. They started in that field in 1956 or so, and
got out in 1973, having sold all but WRGB station to McGraw-Hill.
And, just to keep you on the straight and narrow, Warner Brothers didn't own
any TV station after 1956 or so. Bet you can't tell me which station(s)
they had an interest in back then.
One of the reasons they gave for getting out the tv station business back
then was that the 'new' cable rules prevented owning cable systems and
broadcast stations in the same market. The biggest market where they had
both was -- San Diego. Since cable was Greenfield, and TV not, they went
for cable. Now, a much bigger company, they own one television station, and
somehow "broadcast" is a big part of their business.
I'm sure that's why they are resurrecting "The WB" as a streaming-only
network showing reruns and a few new things, via a web site.
But, like Bert, I suspect you won't let facts get in the way of a good
argument.
John Willkie
-----Mensaje original-----
De: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] En
nombre de Craig Birkmaier
Enviado el: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:46 AM
Para: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Asunto: [opendtv] Re: How Many Strikes Until They're Out?
At 9:06 AM -0700 4/2/08, John Willkie wrote:
>In 1970, the issue was in play.
Thank you. You forgot to mention that the broadcasters did not get
anywhere with this until 1992. They did, however, get the FCC to
protect their markets, preventing cable companies from importing
out-of-market signals that compete with local market programming.
>
>I DON'T CARE that the content providers used the rule to take control of
the
>multichannel business, because they didn't.
Really?
>As any fair student of the subject knows, the content providers used the
>Financial Interest/Syndication rule changes of 1991 to help them assert
>control over multiple platforms. And, since I actually read the NPRM and
>Report and Order (the latter quite long) at the time they were released,
all
>this was contemplated, discussed and was largely came to pass.
Sorry, that had nothing to do with it.
The FynSyn rules are not applicable to any cable networks.
All that this FCC rulemaking did was allow the conglomerates to have
more control over the content they produce for their own networks. As
a result, independent production in Hollywood has taken a nose dive.
I won't say that the relaxing of the FynSyn rules was not a
contributing factor to the current stranglehold by the conglomerates
- Disney, GE, Viacom, Fox and Time Warner. But it is a separate issue
from the way the 1992 cable act and retransmission consent were used
to rebuild their empires. And near as I can tell, Time Warner build
it's empire in cable pre-1992 - broadcast operations were never a big
part of the "picture."
Regards
Craig
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