Posted on 05/09/2013 12:34:44 PM PDT by Teflonic
John McCain wants to unbundle cable and to stop broadcasters like CBS and Fox from moving their stations to pay TV. The Arizona senator right now on the Senate floor is introducing The TV Consumer Freedom Act of 2013 (read it here). The legislation is intended to “allow the consumer, the television viewer who subscribes to cable, to have à la carte capability. In other words, not required to buy a whole bunch of channels that that consumer may not want wish to subscribe to,” McCain said moments ago. The former GOP Presidential candidate also went after broadcasters like CBS and Fox who have said that they could move to cable if they lose in the courts against Barry Diller’s Aereo streaming service. “We’ll also establish consequences if broadcasters choose to downgrade their over-the-air service,” McCain told the Senate. His legislation would also eliminate the sports blackout rule “in events that are held in publicly financed stadiums.”
The proposal is expected to meet heavy resistance among the cable companies. ”Only Dish and Cablevision have been for a la carte and smaller bundles because we think it’s consumer-friendly”, Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen said during his company’s conference call today. “Having said that, there are five big groups that probably have enough clout in Congress to stop that legislation today. He added that “the marketplace is going to determine” if the price is too high. “There’s an awful lot of people who don’t consume (200 channels)”, he said, “and most of us would like to look for creative solutions”.
“This is unfair and wrong — especially when you consider how the regulatory deck is stacked in favor of industry and against the American consumer”, he said. “You can only do that when you have a monopoly”, he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at deadline.com ...
You are right about ESPN but it is still extremely popular and well viewed even if you and I don’t care for it.
Well said my friend !!
Time Warner may be the only cable provider you have but that doesn’t stop you or anyone else from building another system in your area. Anyone who thinks cable TV has a monopoly is simply misinformed.
No they can’t, because if they stop buying that way they lose the channels and the customers blame them, and go to satellite. Every time a cable provider and a network argue the end customers blame the provider when they can’t get their channels. They try explaining it to customers, and customers always say the same thing: gimme my channels.
but we will still be subjected to advertising... so in effect charged thrice.
free tv over the airwaves... regulate licenses for bandwidth and let them sell advertising, but keep it free.
thanks
tom t
cable companies pass on franchise fees to their subscribers.
I think there is another motive. When McSlimes Amnesty Bill gets through, the Mexicans will only have to pay for the Spanish Stations.
He should offer it as an Amendment to the Immigration Bill and eliminate the need for another Obama Signing Ceremony.
Yeah. Every dime. Believe that, if it makes you sleep better. Do you think that local access station at the high school just appeared out of thin air?
Do a little research before you make silly statements like that. You embarrass yourself.
if you think business costs are not passed on to cable subscribers, you are the dreamer.
all business costs, every dime, are passed on to the subscribers, or there would be no business.
i sleep fine.
and local stations at the high school are funded by the subscribers.
wake up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.