FCC seeking to close programming access loophole

[robjlevin]

Looks like the FCC may finally grow a pair. At least there's some hope, finally.


FCC seeking to close programming access loophole - Yahoo! News

[Big Dawg 23]

Looks like the FCC may finally grow a pair. At least there's some hope, finally.


FCC seeking to close programming access loophole - Yahoo! News

Lets hope this happens. I wouldnt mind more HD sports under NHLCI and MLBEI. Living in Minnesota I am lucky to have all the teams on Fox Sports North except the Vikes. I enjoy watching the Philles but Comcast childish games on withholding the signal.

[stogie5150]

Question: Would this force Directv and the NFL to make Sunday Ticket available to any provider?

[texasbrit]

Question: Would this force Directv and the NFL to make Sunday Ticket available to any provider?

No. That's a commercial deal between two separate organizations. What the FCC wants to stop is a service provider owning channels and then refusing to make them available to other service providers. Essentially the FCC wants the two parts of the company to operate at "arms length" from each other so that the channels are available to anyone, and on the same commercial terms.

[titicaka21]

I am a DirecTV customer in the Philadelphia area. You have no idea how happy I am to hear that finally the FCC is taking notice. I want the evil greedy Comcast Corporation is brought down to their knees in this squabble. I am not getting my hopes up too much because Comcast will probably find a way to swindle the panel and keep their little "Gem" inside the house when it should be allowed to come out and play.

[stogie5150]

No. That's a commercial deal between two separate organizations. What the FCC wants to stop is a service provider owning channels and then refusing to make them available to other service providers. Essentially the FCC wants the two parts of the company to operate at "arms length" from each other so that the channels are available to anyone, and on the same commercial terms.

I understand it, I just think Comcast would be dumber than a stick if they didn't at least approach the subject of the NFL exclusive deal preventing them from competing...if I were in charge damn straight I would...if I have to give up my toys they have to give up theirs...

[Anzac87]

it should also allow directv to pick up the San Diego Padres games on SD4 which is owned by Cox

[mdonnelly]

it should also allow directv to pick up the San Diego Padres games on SD4 which is owned by Cox

Time Warner Cable subs in North County would like that too.

[robjlevin]

I understand it, I just think Comcast would be dumber than a stick if they didn't at least approach the subject of the NFL exclusive deal preventing them from competing...if I were in charge damn straight I would...if I have to give up my toys they have to give up theirs...

If you really understood it, you'd understand that the two are totally unrelated. DirecTV BUYS the Sunday Ticket programming. Comcast OWNS CSN programming and refuses to sell it to DTV while selling it to other providers.

They'd have more weight in this fight if they weren't selling the programming to other companies.

The Sunday Ticket also contains NO LOCAL GAMES. The RSNs in question here Show ONLY LOCAL GAMES.

Finally, Comcast has a great deal to lose by fighting this. Their anti competitive stance is also anti consumer and if they expect the sale of NBC to go through they're going to have to prove that they can own the programming and distribute it fairly.

[stogie5150]

If you really understood it, you'd understand that the two are totally unrelated. DirecTV BUYS the Sunday Ticket programming. Comcast OWNS CSN programming and refuses to sell it to DTV while selling it to other providers.

They'd have more weight in this fight if they weren't selling the programming to other companies.

The Sunday Ticket also contains NO LOCAL GAMES. The RSNs in question here Show ONLY LOCAL GAMES.

Finally, Comcast has a great deal to lose by fighting this. Their anti competitive stance is also anti consumer and if they expect the sale of NBC to go through they're going to have to prove that they can own the programming and distribute it fairly.

You don't think that Comcast isn't BUYING all those rights from all those teams they have RSN's for? Comcast doesn't OWN all those teams....

What I am getting at is if the FCC can force Comcast to resell its programming, they can force the NFL/Directv to make Sunday Ticket available, at a standard price, to any provider who has the scratch, just like they are trying to make Comcast sell programming IT has paid for. The fact that they are from different sources, as correct as you are, matters not a whit to the average consumer, which I consider myself as. All we see is that the FCC is trying to make Comcast sell its original programming to all takers, and Directv is holding exclusive rights to programming that Comcast, Dish Network, Charter, TimeWarner,Cox, etc., would LOVE to be able to offer its customers, but can't, because Directv OWNS the rights to it. The fact that the programming comes from different sources does not matter to the average Joe.