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Aereo Owner Diller: Broadcasters Terrified of 'Shifting Ground'
Broadcasters 'Making Noise' to Get Congressional Attention

Recently broadcasters began whining about how they are going to shut down over the air broadcasts and move those channels to paid cable if they lost their legal case against streaming OTA provider Aereo. That's of course probably illegal and impossible, but the claims are being made to get the attention of Congress in the hopes they'll legislate away a new, disruptive company. Broadcasters proclaim that Aereo violates copyright by delivering OTA broadcasts to users for a mere $10 a month, but so far the courts certainly haven't agreed.

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In an interesting interview with Bloomberg, Aereo founder Barry Diller explains that the time is finally here for some alternatives to increasingly-expensive traditional cable, while arguing that broadcasters aren't really frightened by Aereo, they're frightened by what Aereo represents: the beginning of the end of their closed-door party.
quote:
"I think what they are doing is making a lot of noise in the hopes they will get relief from Congress. I do not think they see Aereo as a "threat" but what they are nervous about is the shifting ground underneath them. As it becomes more and more difficult to justify ever increasing cable fees, satellite fees, as programmers and operators want more and more money and there are more and more programs, as that closed circle becomes ever more pricey there are going to be chinks in that armor if the technology which now allows it, will allow it.
Faster speeds only just allowed it, but Diller seems well aware that the advancement of alternative broadband video options is going to be a "long, radical revolution."

Most recommended from 51 comments


SunnyD
join:2009-03-20
Madison, AL

2 recommendations

SunnyD

Member

On one hand...

Broadcasters vacating the airwaves is most definitely NOT illegal nor impossible, as Karl puts it. It is improbable at this point though, since it is a revenue stream. And let's face it, the broadcast franchisees will pitch a fit should Fox or CBS or any other network decide to pull the plug. But the networks can most definitely and most legally pull the plug should they so desire, leaving the actual franchisees in a lurch for content.

Now, on the other hand, imagine if you will how happy AT&T and Verizon would be (not to mention to a lesser degree Sprint and T-Mo) should ALL of the broadcast airwaves all of a sudden become a vacant playground just waiting for the next, and most imminent FCC spectrum auction to happen...