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Comcast/NBC Merger Opponents Highlight Hulu Blockade
Hulu's already acting stupid, and they're not even part of Comcast yet...

As we recently noted, News Corporation recently took cable/broadcast retransmission disputes to an entirely new level by somehow convincing Hulu to block Cablevision broadband customers from accessing Fox content online -- in addition to blacking out Fox TV signals. As the Cablevision/Fox fight continues, opponents of Comcast's merger with NBC Universal are using the Hulu block as an example of the kind of things you can expect from a massive, "vertically integrated" media powerhouse like Comcast/NBCU:

quote:
The American Cable Association, DirecTV and Dish have have joined those using Fox's decision to briefly block Cablevision subscribers from Fox online content as leverage in their argument for online access conditions on the Comcast/NBCU merger.
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In a letter to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, the companies said that "if Fox, an entity with no affiliation to a distribution platform, was willing to deny certain viewers access to its online content in order to gain a negotiating advantage, a vertically integrated Comcast/NBCU would have an even greater incentive and ability to take similar action."
Hulu quickly buckled to News Corporation's request, then issued a bizarre statement claiming they were only trying to "remain neutral." If Hulu's already rolling over for broadcasters now, Comcast competitors have a legitimate right to worry that Comcast/NBC/Hulu could take this kind of anti-competitive fisticuffs to an entirely new level.
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MSauk
MSauk
Premium Member
join:2002-01-17
Sandy, UT

MSauk

Premium Member

Yikes

That is a little scary.

I guess that is what happens when the big buy the big and become even bigger.

newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium Member
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD

newview

Premium Member

Stick 'em up . . .

As much as I hate to have seen it happen, Comcast has already bought Congress . . . this Comcast/NBCUniversal merger is a done deal. We can expect more and more Comcast holding a gun to competitor's heads over carriage rights in the future.
quote:
Comcast's election giving rose as NBCU deal weighed

Comcast Corp. increased political giving by more than half as the biggest U.S. cable company sought federal approval to buy General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal.

From December 2009, when the deal was reached, through August, Philadelphia-based Comcast's contributions to federal candidates and political parties rose to $1.1 million from $682,450 in the same period two years earlier, Federal Election Commission records show. The money came from the company-run political action committee that funnels donations from employees.

The Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department are weighing the proposed acquisition, which would give Comcast control of the NBC television network, 11 cable channels such as MSNBC and USA Network, and a movie studio. Ninety-one of the 99 House members and three of the five senators who wrote the FCC urging support for the $28 billion merger received donations from Comcast in the election cycle that began Jan. 1, 2009, sometimes within days of the letters.

"That's buying political favors," Mark Cooper, research director of the Consumer Federation of America in Washington, said in an interview. "This full-court press on Congress is out of the ordinary."

»www.philly.com/inquirer/ ··· ighed.ht


iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

This isn't related

If anything, Comcast would KEEP shows on Hulu because the media arm isn't going to fight with its...er...parent.
chimera4
join:2009-06-09
Washington, DC

chimera4

Member

Re: This isn't related

The concern is that they will start blocking users from ISPs besides Comcast from accessing Hulu just like Hulu blocked Cablevision users from accessing content.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

Re: This isn't related

They might block Hulu from telcoTV customers, but saying that they'd block for everyone except Comcast wouldn't work right...Comcast only serves 1\3 of the US or something like that.
chimera4
join:2009-06-09
Washington, DC

chimera4

Member

Re: This isn't related

Very true, but the fear here is that they try to make Hulu part of their value added service and start blocking other ISPs from getting it or they start charging them like ESP360.

Somnambul33t
L33t.
Premium Member
join:2002-12-05
00000

Somnambul33t to chimera4

Premium Member

to chimera4
said by chimera4:

The concern is that they will start blocking users from ISPs besides Comcast from accessing Hulu just like Hulu blocked Cablevision users from accessing content.
except Hulu isnt owned entirely by NBCU. it's only a partner. it's not like it can do w/e the hell it wants whenever it wants. and even if it did, no one's forcing you to use hulu.

I'm tired of all these populist claims. businesses from the smallest mom and pop to the largest like comcast aren't in business to serve you, they exist solely and entirely to make money. If you dont like their ethics or business model, choose a different provider. These companies lobby to keep their "monopoly/duopoly" status, as EVERY business would. It's congress and the FCC and state/local government's to blame for not allowing more competition for publicly-laid lines.

If comcast installed the fiber/coax in your neighborhood...guess what, they own your cable service. tough shit.

i'm not defending comcast/nbc, im defending capitalism. it's the crony capitalism with specific businesses getting special treatment and exemptions from government that causes the problems.

Bill Neilson
Premium Member
join:2009-07-08
Alexandria, VA

Bill Neilson

Premium Member

Re: This isn't related

"If you dont like their ethics or business model, choose a different provider."

If it were that simple, people would switch in a SECOND

But people like me are told it will cost hundreds to install things with new companies....or are told that we are not allowed to do certain things for dishes....so we are left to just move....which costs thousands....

So no, just picking another provider is not that simple
Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA

Sammer to iansltx

Member

to iansltx
The real problem with the merger is that it could completely freeze out smaller or independent content providers that aren't willing to sell their souls. Disney / ABC, Newscorp / Fox, CBS, Viacom, Time Warner, and Liberty Media, all have enough clout to get their owned content on the future Comcast / NBC Universal cable / internet systems but that won't leave much room for anyone else.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

Re: This isn't related

Tell that to Revision3.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_

Premium Member

Will not stop people from watching

thanks to fox they will just increase piracy..
stridr69
join:2003-05-19
San Luis Obispo, CA

stridr69

Member

That's "Comcastic!"

Seriously though, why dosen't Cablevision customers just use a proxiserver. Heck, if certain Chinese webizens can breach "The Great Firewall", then it should be no main feat. Just my quarters worth here...
Nesse
join:2009-06-12
Naperville, IL

Nesse

Member

Re: That's "Comcastic!"

said by stridr69:

Seriously though, why dosen't Cablevision customers just use a proxiserver. Heck, if certain Chinese webizens can breach "The Great Firewall", then it should be no main feat. Just my quarters worth here...

They dont need to run through a proxie as the block didnt last very long. Someone at News Corp/Fox realized it was a bad thing to do. Be it because of bad press or the fear it would be fuel to the fire of the Net Neutrality debate. Either way, its a lot like Pandora Box at this point.

I can see how they would jump to the conclusion this could easily happen with the Comcast merger, but I dont see them blocking the merger based on this. If anything, its going ensure that there is some type of Net Neutrality put into place to prevent powerhouse corps from doing just what News Corp/Fox/Hulu did.

That said. I doubt there was any "persuasion" to get Hulu to block CV broadband users. It was probably a just a very simple phone call telling them what to do. I'd guess it was more like an order than a request.

Com7
@comcast.net

Com7

Anon

Net Neutrality

We need more rules for Net Neutrality so stuff like this doesn't happen in the future. Stop listening to the industry and do whats right for Consumers.
jmmilner
join:2001-11-20
Yorkville, IL

2 edits

jmmilner

Member

Re: Net Neutrality

said by Com7 :

We need more rules for Net Neutrality so stuff like this doesn't happen in the future. Stop listening to the industry and do whats right for Consumers.
Good luck with that or did you just pony up over $1,000,000 to a bunch of Congresscrooks to try to buy some votes for net neutrality? You can't match Comcast's vote purchasing power and nobody in Congress expects their voting record on the subject to cost them a job.

compres
join:2004-12-22
Bangor, PA

compres

Member

their loss

All this bickering, I have Dish Network and lost FX and NatGeo for now and maybe FOX locals soon has made me realize that it is much nicer and convenient to download the episode online. It allows me to watch it when and where I want w/o the commercials. I got to love when they shoot themselves in the foot. Don't they realize that they lose commercial revenue when customers get the video from other sources. My opinion is that in a few years there will not be any more cable/satellite companies, everything will be online. Take the example of Netflix/Blockbuster. Blockbuster is dead and just doesn't realize it yet. Why leave your couch to get a movie, when your tv, PS3, Wii, dvd player all have Netflix streaming. They now are starting to offer 1080i and surround sound. I feel tv shows are going to go this way soon...

Snakeoil
Ignore Button. The coward's feature.
Premium Member
join:2000-08-05
united state

Snakeoil

Premium Member

Easy way to break companies like comcast/Fox.

Just don't use their services.

How long would Newscorp survive if people spoke with their wallets and stopped watching any Fox broadcast?

Same with Comcast.

But the people are stupid and will cater to these companies, so the companies will continue to shaft the people.