[opendtv] Re: News: Apple, Google Asked to Pay Up as Operators Face Data

  • From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:24:21 -0600

Craig Birkmaier wrote:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cable/regulation/

> From the FAQ on this site:
>
> Does Fairfax County regulate cable rates?
> Fairfax County does not regulate rates for cable television service.

Like I said, Craig.

> What do the "franchise fees" and "Public, Educational and Government
> (PEG) support" charges on my cable bill mean? Fairfax County's cable
> franchise agreements require the cable operators to pay for the use of
> the public rights-of-way through franchise fees and support for Public,
> Educational and Government (PEG) cable channels. Federal law allows the
> cable operators to pass on these fees to subscribers.

That's basically taxes, Craig. Not the same thing as setting the monthly fees. 
When businesses are taxed, it's ultimately the consumer that pays that tax. But 
everyone already knows that, and all businesses have to deal with this.

This doesn't come close to describing a situation where government regulation 
prevents competition. It is the MVPD industry and content industry that set the 
rates, and new entrants in the field, like FiOS, AppleTV, Netflix, Hulu 
Premium, and the rest, are going to set their rates to similar levels, unless 
CONSUMERS rebel. If consumers are lemmings, they deserve to pay ever inceasing 
fees.

So this rhetoric:

> Nothing is chiseled in stone these days, except that when we depend
> on government regulated oligopolies we will pay monopoly rates, and
> new competitors will struggle to establish more affordable
> alternatives.

just doesn't sound credible.

Bert
 
 
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