US Telco Support > Verizon > Verizon FIOS TV > [HD] FCC Rules on Verizon Access to MSG HD

[HD] FCC Rules on Verizon Access to MSG HD

Great news...... Now lets see what cablevision pulls out of the hat to delay it past the imposed 30 day ruling.

reply to brownk
This is the part I love:

"Today's disappointing rulings do not appear to be based on the facts," said Cablevision in a statement. "The data clearly demonstrates that there has been no competitive harm to the nation's two largest phone companies as a result of not having two HD channels they already receive in SD. New York is the most competitive market in the country and this decision only hurts fair competition and consumers. Instead of competing on the merits in the marketplace, Verizon and AT&T are manipulating federal law to gain an unfair advantage and we have every intention of pursuing relief in the courts."

Typical Dolan spin on reality....Their own commercials brag that only Optimum customers get all 9 local NY teams in HD.

Not sure what facts Cablevision is referring to (they put their own foot in their mouth), but this will probably be tied up in the courts for a while.

reply to brownk
My money is CV flips them the bird and files suit to block. As long as there is an open court case, nothing can be enforced

reply to brownk
No surprise this ruling came down, just nobody knew how long it would finally take. CV's only option now is to file a claim against the ruling, likely by saying that the FCC overstepped it's legislative bounds. That of course requires them to be granted an injunction against the 30 day requirement, which they'll probably get. That said, injunctions are not issued for a long time, meaning the case could go to court pretty quickly. I'm no law scholar but I simply don't expect the FCC to be struck down in this matter. The case from Verizon/AT&T relied on competition-based claims, and the laws are meant to spur cable TV alternatives. Not only that, but I am pretty sure that every single claim filed against a with holder like CV has been successful. Time and time again. And like I said all along, the Dolans were not going to be able to fool the FCC that their MSG and CV units are now separate companies. I would be surprised if this case isn't settled by winter.

reply to brownk
Links in case anyone wants to read the rulings:

Verizon: »transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Release···94A1.pdf

AT&T: »transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Release···95A1.pdf

reply to brownk
Another reason why we lead the world in the number of attorneys per capita....

"we have every intention of pursuing relief in the courts"

My guess probably by 2013 it might finally be settled....

reply to brownk
good news...but I'm sure appeals will keep this in the courts for many more years...only way to get a quick resolution is for Cablevision to concede...plus what's to stop them from overcharging Verizon to make it difficult for them to actually carry the channels

reply to brownk
CV will just tell the FCC it has no control over MSG-HD and that's it. Then the FCC will have to start all over again with no basis for a ruling

The FCC can make any ruling its wants, it has zero legal enforcement as only laws passed by congress can do this

Either the FCC should levy a hefty fine for everyday past the 30 days that Cablevision does not comply with the ruling or the FCC should ban Cable companies from owning channels. I am not saying that either will be done, but with these people, you must play hard ball.

reply to guppy_fish

Re: [HD] FCC Rules on Verizon Access to MSG HD

The FCC can only apply the mandate when the content is "owned" by the cable company.

The FCC has made a determination that they have no legal authority to do, the FCC is not a court and only a court can determine if the present ownership meets what the law was written to apply too.

MSG was sold, its 100% a separate company and only a court, not three FCC commissioners can make a determination otherwise

reply to brownk
Do you realize you are the only person who is making that point about ownership? It's never in any of the articles written about the case, even by industry insiders. So either they're lax or it's irrelevant in this case.

reply to guppy_fish

You are reading Zero into what the FCC has in determining how the rule apply's to CV

Time will tell .. so far for 3+ years I have been right

Even if they aren't the same company couldn't MSG be engaging in non-competitive behavior by not offering the HD feeds to FIOS? What if ESPN decided to pull their HD feeds from a cable system? I would think that system would pursue legal action.

reply to brownk
There is no law that content creators are required to sell to all that which to rebroadcast for profit

The poster child is the NFL and DirectTV sunday ticket. content creators are free to pick and choose whom they sell to.

The only exception is when the content creator is a cable company and that is the basis of this decision, and why now close to two years ago MSG was spun off into its own company