[opendtv] Re: News: Consumer Groups Oppose Multicast Must-Carry
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 12:19:15 -0400
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> What I am against is the forced carriage of a
> bunch of garbage and infomercials, or a policy
> that would allow the congloms to capture even a
> larger share of the audience and ad revenues.
This concern is unfounded. If multicast
must-carry takes up less cable spectrum than
analog must-carry, that gives more opportunity
for others to compete against the congloms, not
less. And if broadcasters fill up their 3 MHz
space with garbage, the only possible result is
that they lose viewership.
Seems to me, there is no logical reason to go
hard over on multicast must-carry on cable. I
agree that it would be onerous on DBS.
For cable, it's mostly a matter of principle.
Compared to what came before, even must-carry
of the entire multiplex is not a burden, when/if
they drop their analog tier.
> I am a strong believe in free markets. Let
> broadcasters put what ever they want into their
> multiplexes.
If this is true, then you'll have to accept the
reality that people shop at WalMart. No matter
what you say about allowing independent producers
on the air, OTA broadcasters and cable companies
have to fill their mass-market media with content
that has mass-market appeal. That's why 90 percent
of what's on cable comes from the major congloms.
I don't see why anyone would resent success.
Bert
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