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

Brian Wood beww at beww.org
Sat Dec 5 15:14:58 UTC 2009


On Saturday 05 December 2009 07:54:11 am Devin Heitmueller wrote:
> > Agree 100%.  In the end, I think it will be approved.  Comcast has the
> > bucks to do the lobbying needed.
> 
> For me, there are two very scary possibilities that can come out of this:
> 
> 1.  Comcast can start denying access to its channels in competing
> markets, just like Time Warner does in New York City - Time Warner is
> currently broadcasting commercials that say "With Time Warner, you get
> access to all nine major New York sports teams in HD.  You can't get
> that with FIOS!".  The reason they can do that is because Time Warner
> owns the rights and won't make them available to competitors.
> 
> 2.  Comcast can make NBC a cable-only channel - eliminating the OTA
> version entirely.  Again, this reduces the chances of switching to OTA
> or could force people on OTA to get cable if they want to continue
> getting NBC programming.

Comcast will probably come up with even scarier ideas, I'm sure.

The sale will no doubt be approved, along with some token "oversight" or 
changes in rules to make people think that they will not be screwed by this 
deal.

The producers simply should NOT be allowed to own the distribution 
channels, that was the whole idea behind the "Great Divorce" back in the 
30s. The studios were not allowed to own theaters, and that made perfect 
sense. This rule didn't put the studios out of business, as they claimed it 
would.

I think we can write off Hulu if the sale goes through, at least in its present 
free commercial-supported incarnation.


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