Comcast to TV Viewers: Screw You! By Phillip Swann TVPredictions.com
http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcast031210.htm Washington, D.C. (March 12, 2010) -- Comcast likes to say that its primary goal is to provide a great experience for all of its customers, particularly its TV viewers. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that's a bunch of crap. The nation's largest cable operator proved once again this week that its obsession with the bottom line outweighs any consideration for the well-being of its customers. Comcast has still not invested sufficient capital to expand their high-def capacity in local systems across the nation. Consequently, many small to mid-sized Comcast markets have less than 50 HD channels -- about half the amount offered by DIRECTV, Dish Network, Verizon and AT&T among others. That's bad enough. But this week when asked to sign a petition urging the FCC to adopt rules that would prevent broadcast networks from pulling their TV signals in contract disputes with TV providers, such as Comcast, Comcast said... No! The petition was prompted by the recent battle between Cablevision and Disney-owned ABC which led to the latter pulling its ABC signal in New York from Cablevision's lineup the day of the Oscar broadcast; the two sides finally reached a new agreement 15 minutes into the broadcast. Unless the FCC acts on the petition, it's quite likely that more broadcast networks will pull their signals in contract fights with TV providers -- and deny you your favorite shows. Now 14 other TV providers, including DIRECTV, Dish Network, Cablevision, Time Warner and Verizon, signed the petition to protect their viewers. But not Comcast. Why? Comcast is buying a majority stake in NBC Universal, pending federal approval. And so the cable operator doesn't want the FCC imposing rules that would prevent NBC-owned stations from pulling their signals in fee fights with TV providers, including perhaps even Comcast itself. Comcast is happy to put the prospect of higher programming fees for NBC -- obtained by using the threat of removing NBC from the lineups of cable and satellite operators -- over the interests of their own cable subscribers and others. In other words, Comcast says: screw you viewers. We don't care if you lose your favorite shows or not. We are here to get more money for NBC Universal. The next time that Comcast says that it's here for you, just remember that Comcast is here for Comcast. -- ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 Mail: antunes at uh dot edu _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list Medianews@etskywarn.net http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
