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House Leaders Back Cable in FCC Fight
Barton, Upton criticize Martin for cable decisions
Conservative representatives Joe Barton (top contributor: Comcast) and Fred Upton (more partial to AT&T and Verizon) agree with the cable industry's recent complaint that FCC chief Kevin Martin is being too hard on them. Martin has angered the industry with his push for "a la carte" programming tiers, the set-top box waiver dispute, his pro-telco franchise reform push and, most recently, the capping of cable ownership limits. This is in contrast to his treatment of the incumbent phone providers, who the cable industry insists get preferential "hands-off" treatment. Martin, meanwhile, is pushing hard to expand his agency's indecency authority over TV programming.
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nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD

1 recommendation

nasadude

Member

boo hoo

gosh, I feel so darn bad for the cablecos. They just can't catch a break.

thank goodness they have their monopoly to fall back on.
macaholic
Premium Member
join:2003-08-31
Jackson Heights, NY

1 recommendation

macaholic

Premium Member

Re: boo hoo

said by nasadude:

gosh, I feel so darn bad for the cablecos. They just can't catch a break.

thank goodness they have their monopoly to fall back on.
and what about the feds dictating what the pay for cable stations can broadcast??? get your head out of the sand.
BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Wakefield, MA

BosstonesOwn

Member

Re: boo hoo

Thats my complaint , don't do a damn thing about a service I pay for.

I buy HBO because I want to view it's contents. I can buy playboy if I want to watch it's contents.

What is next telling these channels they can't show what makes them better then normal cable ?

These people need to go bury there heads in the sand. You don't like the content don't buy the channel.

Oh and let satellite merge both tv and radio.
bsherman544
join:2004-06-09
Ennis, TX

bsherman544

Member

Joe Barton (R) is in texas just FYI...

»joebarton.house.gov/

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Proposal doesn't include Premium Cable like HBO

»House Leaders Back Cable in FCC Fight
Martin meanwhile is pushing hard to expand his indecency authority to include pay cable channels such as HBO »www.techdirt.com/article ··· 10.shtml .
The techdirt article doesn't mention HBO. It only mentions Martin wanting to regulate BASIC CABLE CHANNELS. Not Premium channels. I'm not in favor of regulating either. Just getting the facts right.
»www.techdirt.com/article ··· 10.shtml
The FCC will soon recommend that Congress pass a new law giving it the ability to not only regulate "indecent" programming, but also violence in TV shows, and also allowing it to regulate what's shown on basic cable channels.
nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD

nasadude

Member

Re: Proposal doesn't include Premium Cable like HBO

isn't the basic cable tier the only part of cable that's regulated? I know it used to be, but I have a vague recollection that's no longer true.

if the basic tier is still regulated, I wonder if that's why Martin feels he can at least try to get away with this. after all, he can claim that tier is "already regulated".
majortom1029
join:2006-10-19
Medford, NY

majortom1029

Member

Fcc is being unfair

The FCC is being unfair to the cable companies.

They are trying to pose restrictions that only the cablecompanies would have to follow and that verizon and att get to ignore.

To me that is unfair. If things like alacarte are put into effect then verizon should have to follow by the same rules.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Re: Fcc is being unfair

You're correct. And what some people don't realize is that Martin, in the name of so called competition, (or as it's also called, being paid for) is leashing cable, holding them back so that telephone can dig their claws in to the market place. You can't leash on industry so another one can take over.. that's wrong wrong wrong. The cable customers, in the mean time, suffer while paying their bill each month.

If this was the case, then the FCC should do the same thing to the phone company so that cable can get a grip on phone.

If one can't see how unbalanced Martin is being, they'd have to be blind.

Martin wants to place rules on an industry, not a product. IF they are going to regulate TV, then you regulate it for anyone that provides it. In turn, I agree that cable provided phone should be under the same regulations as Ma Bell is. Fair is fair..
baklash5
join:2007-04-16

baklash5 to majortom1029

Member

to majortom1029
does "telecommunication act of 1996"ring a bell? Telco's have been regulated for years. Maybe the reason telco's want to offer cable service is because cable companys want to offer phone service.
majortom1029
join:2006-10-19
Medford, NY

majortom1029

Member

Re: Fcc is being unfair

When that was passed cable companies werent providing phone services.

VErizon should have to follow the same rules as cablevision.

If the fcc keeps this up verizon will be a monopoly for tv also.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88 to baklash5

Member

to baklash5
said by baklash5:

does "telecommunication act of 1996"ring a bell? Telco's have been regulated for years. Maybe the reason telco's want to offer cable service is because cable companys want to offer phone service.
And Martin+Supreme Court reversed the entire act by now.
campinfool
join:2006-02-24
Austin, TX

campinfool to majortom1029

Member

to majortom1029
That is fine and dandy if the cable companies had to play by the same rules in regards to telephone service.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

FCC Has 0 Business Regulating Content

This is ridiculous. Cable companies do not use airwaves to broadcast content. How can the FCC have any jurisdiction over them at all?

What's next, content regulation for satellite radio? Geez. Doesn't the government have more important things to take care of? Janet Jackson's boobie never killed anyone!

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: FCC Has 0 Business Regulating Content

It is ridiculous.

And if the satellite merger goes through, I think the FCC will make regulation one of the conditions.

Why do they have to boil everything down to the level of a damn 6 year old?

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Re: FCC Has 0 Business Regulating Content

said by N3OGH:

Why do they have to boil everything down to the level of a damn 6 year old?
No kidding... but then again, this is a country with parents dumb enough to leave their 4 year old kids on a football field to be tackled.

Ebolla
join:2005-09-28
Dracut, MA

Ebolla

Member

Re: FCC Has 0 Business Regulating Content

pshh, if it wasnt for bad parenting decisions that kid wouldnt of had his 15min of fame before the age of 10

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH to pnh102

Premium Member

to pnh102
Yeah, no shit.

I see parents do a LOT of stupid stuff.

Like breed in the first place...
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88 to N3OGH

Member

to N3OGH
said by N3OGH:

Why do they have to boil everything down to the level of a damn 6 year old?
Thats what TV turned most of America into. Plus if everyone is 6 years old, if they dont vote for you, you can spank them!
Expand your moderator at work

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Comcast not Barton's top contributor

»House Leaders Back Cable in FCC Fight
Joe Barton (top contributor: Comcast)
Comcast was the top contributor only during 1 election cycle. Comcast is 15th during Barton's congressional tenure.
»www.opensecrets.org/poli ··· 00005656
1 Anadarko Petroleum  $111,700
2 TXU Corp $89,950
3 Lockheed Martin $86,450
4 Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp $84,061
5 National Cable & Telecommunications Assn $83,849
6 AT&T Inc $79,559
7 National Auto Dealers Assn $72,600
8 National Assn of Realtors $68,550
9 BP $60,350
10 Lyondell Chemical $55,250
11 Textron Inc $52,900
12 American Medical Assn $51,817
13 National Assn of Broadcasters $49,550
14 United Parcel Service $49,390
15 Comcast Corp $49,000
16 National Rifle Assn $48,898
17 Texas Industries $48,750
18 American Institute of CPAs $48,499
19 National Assn of Home Builders $47,800
20 Exxon Mobil $44,750

Of course, Other cable companies(NCTA) contributed as well.
kenyg
join:2001-02-09
Hatboro, PA

kenyg

Member

FCC the F is for Phooey

phooey -

how about putting cablecos under the telecom act of 1996? I like DSL, I like cable. I like that I can get Verizon DSL or Cavalier DSL (and others). I like that I can have local phone service from a company other than Verizon, and I have my choice of long distance carriers. I don't like that I can only get Comcast on my cable. I would like the choice of Comcast or Time Warner and others.

The cable companies are beginning to look a lot like phone companies and the phone companies are looking more and more like cable companies - why not treat them the same?
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Re: FCC the F is for Phooey

I agree with you in most part except one thing.. Telephone was built with a lot of public tax money as subscribers pay into funds that the telephone companies got. Cable, on the other hand, was built as a private industry and unlike phone, cable collects money that goes back to the public troff, and some of that actually winds up in the hands of phone companies. Nice huh?

To force a cable company to open their cable lines to competitors is like you running a chain of grocery stores and being told you have to give up some space because another grocer wants to sell their goods in your building.

Already, with cable phone (some) you can have their dial tone and still choose your own long distance carrier. Anymore, today, it really doesn't make sense to choose another long distance carrier anyway since that model is all but going away. To be fair, in Time Warner's case (mostly in the past) you were/are able to get Earth Link and other providers for HSI.. (I believe, too, in a couple Comcast markets you can choose among other providers too)

telcolacky
@169.152.251.x

telcolacky to kenyg

Anon

to kenyg
The difference is one infrastructure was government funded and one was privately funded. If another Company wants to string infrastructure in your town at their cost, they can.

See if you can order get Cavalier FiOS. Or even Cavalier DSL after Verizon rips out your copper (avoiding having to support this infrastructure for competitors) after they install fiber to your home.
banner
Premium Member
join:2003-11-07
Long Beach, CA

banner to kenyg

Premium Member

to kenyg
Why do you care who provides local phone service? Its not like any company can make your voice sound any better. Do you want to have a choice of electric companies and water companies too?
majortom1029
join:2006-10-19
Medford, NY

majortom1029

Member

Re: FCC the F is for Phooey

Actually yes they can. My telephone calls sound much clearer through voip from cablevision then they did with verizon.

I tried for a year straight to get my crossed line resolved with verizon and it only got worse after each telephone calls (I was crosssed with a doctors office line and was able to hear every little detail about the calls)

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

morbo to banner

Member

to banner
said by banner:

Do you want to have a choice of electric companies and water companies too?
in Texas they do. although it is mostly b.s. wrapped around the "deregulation is good" mantra. rates are up 40% in some places since deregulation...
stonky
join:2003-08-25
Watertown, MA

stonky to banner

Member

to banner
Er, yes.
What I want is one fiber line, one HT power cable, one gas pipe,one water pipe and one sewer pipe - publicly owned infrastructure, and the ability to buy all the bits/electrons/tvchannels/water etc from whomever wants to sell them to me (who in turn would have fixed fees they would have to pay for use of the rights of way to cover their maintenance costs). Is it really hard to understand this is what REAL competition would look like?

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Democrat Dingell joins the 2 Republicans on FCC/Cable issue

»www.broadcastingcable.co ··· 535.html
Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) stopped just short of agreeing with his predecessor that the FCC was picking on the cable industry.

In a speech to approximately 300 executives in Washington for NCTA's Key Contacts Conference-- essentially a meet-and-greet opportunity with legislators-- Dingell said that while he could not say that the FCC picked on any industry, he could say that "sometimes their process is neither open, nor is it transparent, nor is it fair."

"I can understand how you might feel that the FCC is picking on your industry," he said. He promised thorough oversight of the commission, including phone calls, letters and hearings when necessary to insure that the cable industry--and all industries--are being treated fairly.

Nightshade
Premium Member
join:2002-05-26
Salem, OR

1 edit

Nightshade

Premium Member

Money Trail

When politicians are talking, all you have to do is follow the money trail to see why.

Kylemaul
Lovin' My Firefox
Premium Member
join:2001-03-30
Puyallup, WA

Kylemaul

Premium Member

AaAaUuUuGgGgHhHhHhHh!

That's all I've got to say. F'cking lame that BBR won't let me post an all caps subject! AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

BillRoland
Premium Member
join:2001-01-21
Ocala, FL

BillRoland

Premium Member

Kevin Martin is Telco's boy

Its as simple as that. This is the same guy who wanted AT&T-BellSouth approved with no conditions, but now he's "concerned" about capping cable ownership? Give me a break. Somebody ought to be checking HIS bank accounts for Direct Deposits from the teclo industry.
Tim2
Premium Member
join:2006-06-19

Tim2

Premium Member

The FCC scares me

A conversation you'll never hear when the President is interviewing potential FCC commissioners...

President: I'm looking over the things you've written. You're one of the most creative, out of the box thinkers I've ever met.
Potential Commissioner: And I'm unpredictable, too!
President: Whoa, dude. I've got to have you on that commission. Please, please, please, say yes.

Instead,

President: What do you consider your strong point?
Potential Commissioner: I've never had an original idea in my life.
President: That's good, but...
Potential Commissioner: And I'm proud of it.
President: You're my guy.