Oh no, I’m with you. They owe us big time. Thanks for correcting me. We all deserve the entertainment we want. Just because they’ve negotiated right of way, doesn’t mean we can’t force them to do what we want.
“Just because they’ve negotiated right of way, doesn’t mean we can’t force them to do what we want.”
That’s exactly what it means.
Theater operators buy land and own theaters — they can show whatever movies they want. If you don’t like it, take your business elsewhere.
The television business is completely different. Transmission methods are entirely public owned.
Broadcasters do not own the public airwaves. We do. If they decide to show porn at 10 am on Saturday morning, we yank their license. That shuts them down. Until they’re responsive to those who own the airwaves and stop showing porn.
Cable operators do not own the cable infrastructure. We do. Lots of other companies would love the revenue from the franchise in a particular city. Well, they can’t set up shop and compete for those eyeballs. Only one company gets the right to all that revenue at a time. They have been granted a PUBLIC MONOPOLY. We own it; they’re licensing it. We’re the landlords, we make the rules.
Why is this so difficult for people to understand? It’s EXACTLY like the electric company or the water company. Their rates — and that’s what this is about, how much you’re going to pay — are and must be subject to regulation. Or they can give the franchise to someone who will operate it at rates acceptable to the public.