[opendtv] Re: Ofcom's proposed spectrum option
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 08:01:19 -0400
At 7:06 PM -0400 6/8/08, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
Do I detect a desire on your part for govt regulation of cable?
Actually NO.
Clearly, the government is NOT really regulating cable now; what they
have done is to give the conglomerates and broadcasters the ability
to get the cable industry to collect billions in additional
non-advertising revenues for advertiser supported TV. THIS is NOT
free market.
Not just allows, but the politicians crafted legislation
that made it possible for the congloms to use the
popularity of their broadcast content as a major
negotiating tool to take over most of the content
delivered by the multi-channel systems.
"The politicians crafted"?
Craig, this is pure free enterprise at work. The congloms have the
popular content. The cable companies want lots of subscribers. The two
will naturally work together to the biggest mutual benefit.
FOTFL
You are clueless Bert.
Go back and study the history of the relationship between cable and
broadcasters. Look at the court cases. Then look at the 1992 Cable
Act and tell me with a straight face that this is the free market at
work.
Unbelievable!
Therefore, congloms will offer as much bundled programming as cable
companies can fit, and cable companies will opt for subscription models
that minimize their own administrative costs.
Both the multi-channel services AND the congloms WANT this form of
bundling. Yes, it is easier for the multichannel services to
administer bundles, but ala carte is certainly no more difficult than
building the transaction system for AT&T that kept track of every
long distance phone call - and they did this decades ago.
TThis is not about minimizing costs. It is about maximizing profits
by getting multi-channel subscribers to pay monthly fees for
everything they CAN watch, not what they DO watch.
Perhaps there is an easier way to get this through your thick skull.
How would you feel is you got a bill each month for every broadcast
TV signal you are capable of receiving?
Would you willingly pay for both the Washington and Baltimore
stations that deliver mostly the same content?
Would you willingly pay for channels you do not watch?
Would you get upset that they want MORE MONEY for content that is
already jammed full of commercials?
In spite of your constant refrain, the simple fact is that the US public
has overwhelmingly accepted this formula, and that therefore there is NO
REASON to expect the cable companies to change anything.
We are overwhelmingly accepting $4/gallon gasoline too...
Oh, except for any govt regulation that might be introduced, as you are
now proposing?
I am not proposing more government regulation.
I am proposing that the government regulations that allowed this to
happen be recinded and that the marketplace be allowed to work.
Regards
Craig
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