[mythtv-users] Somewhat OT: Comcast takeover of NBC Universal

[Brian Phillips]

Mark wrote:
> greg wrote:
>>> 
>> It's a good deal for GE and it's stock holders (as I am)..Jack Welsh
>> bought NBC from RCA for 3 billion and is selling it for 13.5
>> billion...Not a bad deal.. I am sure you know GE owned NBC,back in
>> the earlier years of television,they sold it off when they off loaded
>> their cable business ( I think that was cablevision).. Yeah, They
>> have pulled some shady deals,but name one company who don't push the
>> envelope... I worked for them for many years...Overall a good
>> company to work for.. 
>> 
>> I will admit that the programing is in the toilet..I can't think of
>> even one program i watch on NBC...
>> 
> We're not just talking NBC here.  We're talking USA, Lifetime, SciFi,
> LOTS of channels fall into the NBC/U umbrella.  NOT TO MENTION, they
> will own content that they will SELL to competitors, such as DirecTV,
> DISH, etc.   I *CANT* get comcast here.  I  
> HAVE to have Sat.  My costs are going UP.

Bad things happen when a distributor also owns the content creation.
Remember when the BigTen Network went live in the midwest?  DirectTV owned a
stake, and that caused cable companies heartburn when it came time to buy
the content.  As a result, cable subscribers missed out.

The exact same thing happened in the Western US markets.  The Mountain West
Conference started a network and partnered with Comcast.  It took pressure
from the US Congressional members for DirectTV to finally pay the price
Comcast was asking.  They were stalemated for almost 3 years.

Now, for the hockey lovers, you can see what's happened with Versus, which
Comcast owns.  Not to be found on DirectTV.

It's not that your satellite bill will go up.  It's just that DirectTV will
drop Comcast owned channels from their lineup, rather than pay the
exhorbitant fees...

This really is a bad thing.

Brian