Verizon lobbies FCC for help securing TV content

The time is coming for telcos like Verizon, for example, to start thinking about television content deals. They are, after all, laying fiber to the home in communities across America, so getting content to throw up on IPTV is at the top of their list of priorities. Unfortunately it's not as simple as calling up MSNBC and syndicating their programming; there are arcane exclusivity deals and cable ownerships of sub-networks, like how Fox Sports New York is owned (indirectly) by Cablevision. It sounds like negotiations for such programming weren't going so well for Verizon, since they've gone over the heads of Cablevision and petitioned the FCC for help securing TV content. This is all well and good if the cable companies are holding their content for ransom, so to speak, but it does smack a little of hypocrisy: remember how reluctant Verizon and the other telcos were with providing 911 access to VoIP providers like Vonage? Those companies were trying to get access to 911 systems years before the FCC stepped in and mandated that everyone place nice.

[John @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:30AM]

Cant you expect this kind of hypocrisy from the telcos though? I mean, they are the ones who want to charge people on the sending end and the receiving end of any kind of internet communication. And they want to set up some sort of tier system where providers such as google and yahoo would not be sent over their network the same as, oh, say, the Verizon search page.

All these communications laws and practices are the same, everyone looses. Example: I have to use some podunk ISP for my DSL because theres some stupid FCC regulation that says they have exclusive rights to my Apartment complex's system. They own the cable and the phone lines... I'm just lucky I was able to get off their sorry ass cable network and get satellite, which just raised their prices!

[VibroKatana @ Mar 22nd 2006 10:21AM]

All the companies want is a way to take rights away from the consumers and put money into their pockets. What we are seeing is a massive declination of our rights to own property, instead we are paying a company to allow us to do what we should beable to do anyway. By carefully wording and tricking consumers that these new products are "easier and more convenient" they are throwing rights management and limiting what we can do with our own property. Unfortunately the government seems unwilling or uninterested in helping their citizens. We should beable to do whatever we want with our property. If I want to rip a cd to my computer, why do companies INSIST on trying to limit this. Sure the problem with piracy is there, but why dont they develop toward countering piracy instead of crippling the consumers with limitations.

[tickytong @ Mar 22nd 2006 11:32AM]

Verizon is going through the same thing that Echostar goes through every year. The providers want to get as much money as they can when it comes to negotiation time. Most of the hagalling price is way overpriced and they know they have the providers over a barrel. Nobody has gone crying to daddy government though. Interesting tactic. Doubt it will work though.

[crsyuen @ Mar 23rd 2006 9:32AM]

Wow, Vibrokatana, quite the moving speech.

VibroKatana in V for Vendetta with Verizon!

[KeyBoard Wrangler @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:15AM]

Most people don't realize that there are "public" meetings held to discuss the impact of deals between large cable corps and the cities/towns/states they do business in. Much is the same for Telco's. There are agreements after agreements made with our local gov't on the best way to provide service to us with limited involvement by us.

One almost has to troll the classified notices section to be sure not to miss it.

It's funny though. Change the cast and you have:

Telco's: Middle/High schooler #1
Cable cos: Middle/High Schooler #2
FCC: Teacher or principal
Content: Boyfriend
Consumers: Some unpopular kid
Situation: Kid #1 is ticked that Kid #2 won't give back the boyfriend that she took from Some Unpopular Kid and has ignored the Unpopular Kids desires and wishes and gone straight to the Teacher for intervention!

LOL.
Ok, it's a stretch, but these corporations drive me crazy. I wish I could stretch a tin can and string and get the same reception. Some days, I probably could..lol.

[Pete @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:51PM]

How about a choice for CableTV? Currently Comcast owns most of New England with these exclusivity "franchises". I just got FiOS internet to get away from the crappy oversubscribed cable modems from comcast. Now we have to wait until Q4 to have a CHOICE of cable TV providers. D*TV does not have the local programing and does not have all the HD I need.

I want 30 or more channels of HD and not have to pay 140/month to get it.