|
|
|
|
#1
11/02/2007, 08:39 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
david VS goliath
well..... more like Maxwell VS the cable/satelite industry
(max is an very close, lifelong friend of the family) Go GET 'EM!!!!! http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=108&sid=1253499 By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) - The U.S. pay-TV industry amounts to a cartel because it maintains profits by offering channels in prepackaged tiers rather than "a la carte," according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles. The federal lawsuit names every major cable and satellite television system operator as well as every major cable and broadcast television network. "The antitrust laws protect the right of choice," antitrust lawyer Maxwell M. Blecher said. "Here the customer is denied that choice." The complex web of contractual arrangements among service providers and networks amounts to a monopoly or cartel that has "deprived consumers of choice, caused them to pay inflated prices for cable television and forced them to pay for cable channels they do not want and do not watch," Blecher wrote in the complaint filed on behalf of cable subscribers in several states. The complaint, which alleges a conspiracy to monopolize as well as violations of federal antitrust laws, names nine plaintiffs, but Blecher wants the U.S. District Court to certify it as a class action. Calls to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, a trade group for the U.S. cable television industry, were not immediately returned. Blecher contends cable and satellite television subscribers should be able to pay only for the channels they actually want to watch. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has said such a system would require federal legislation. The cable TV industry has argued that such an a la carte system would lead to higher prices, less programming diversity and fewer channels in part because advertising revenue would fall. Such a system also would require more customer service representatives and raise the costs of billing and marketing, the industry has said. Blecher's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and wants the court to force cable operators to tell subscribers they can purchase channels individually. Blecher estimated as many as 80 million people receive bundled cable or satellite television packages and could be a party to the case should it receive class-action status. The companies named in the suit are NBC Universal Inc., Viacom Inc., The Walt Disney Co., Fox Entertainment Group Inc., Time Warner Inc., Comcast Cable Communications Inc., Cox Communications Inc., The DirecTV Group Inc., Echostar Satellite LLC, Charter Communications Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp. ___ Associated Press Writer John Dunbar in Washington contributed to this report.
__________________
as scary as it may be, bart and i are very similar in our opinions of this topic ~jpfelix HEY! I lost it first ~CRP There is no "Brain" in "Brian." ~Beerguy |
|
#2
11/02/2007, 09:09 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Interesting!
__________________
GPH tank turn over numbers is about as accurate a method as watts per gallon. |
|
#3
11/02/2007, 09:11 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
GO MAX!! I've been saying this for years...
__________________
I drank some fish food but is OK cause it tasted GOOD ~ vr697getta The little men that live behind my eyes and scream into my brain told me to tell you hi. |
|
#4
11/02/2007, 09:11 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I really hope that we do end up being able to pick and choose our channels. I pay for basic cable yet 2-3 of those channels are in a different language so why the heck am I paying for them?
__________________
PC load letter? What the {bleep} does that mean? |
|
#6
11/02/2007, 10:02 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I agree with Debi. While my wife and I only watch maybe 5 or 6 channels out of the 200 or so we get I think an a la carte system is way too difficult to manage and would cost lots more. What if you like something on the Travel channel? Of course that's not watched as much as the Discovery channel. You'd end up with a system of "tiered" pricing schedules to offset the costs. And I doubt it would be as miniscule as an extra $1 for a certain channel a month, either.
__________________
If someone wrote a book about your life would anyone want to read it? |
|
#7
11/02/2007, 10:12 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I hope he's able to take the industry apart, just like Ma Bell was dismantled years ago.
freedom of choice for the little people! (this is the lounge, we are the little people  )stick it to the big guys! down with monopolies! is there a way to blame wallymart & homers-depot?, I dislike them also
__________________
as scary as it may be, bart and i are very similar in our opinions of this topic ~jpfelix HEY! I lost it first ~CRP There is no "Brain" in "Brian." ~Beerguy |
|
#8
11/02/2007, 10:13 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I would be willing to pay extra, so long as the extra was not too expensive. Even if the 10+ channels I choose comes out to the same as a 200+ channel package, it would be worth it. I don't watch sports, so I don't need 5 or more sports channels. I don't speak Spanish, so I don't need the Spanish channels. I don't care for contemporary music, so MTV, VH1 and others are out. I'm white, so BET is out. I can skip the weather channel, CSPAN (ALL of them), MSNBC, and all of the financial channels. SOAP Network is definitely out.
__________________
I drank some fish food but is OK cause it tasted GOOD ~ vr697getta The little men that live behind my eyes and scream into my brain told me to tell you hi. |
|
#9
11/02/2007, 10:47 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I'm for it even if Maxwell wins his case it doesn't mean they can't offer the packages to those who want them.
__________________
Of course I could be completely mistaken. Ed: "I hate to tell you this Dr., but there aren't any fish in that river. In fact, there isn't any river." Dr. Lao: "That's ok. Me no use bait." |
|
#10
11/02/2007, 11:57 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Actually the "a la carte" system would be easy. Since it's all sim cards now anyway you would just buy a 10, 20, or 40 (for example) channel "package" and just select what channels you wanted to be in that package. Premiums (HBO, SHOWTIME, etc) could still be separate and extra (like they are now anyway) but it would be feasible.
Will he pull it off, I highly doubt it. But it's great to see someone trying!
__________________
"I'm not closed minded. You're just wrong!" - Bucky Katt "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green |
|
#11
11/02/2007, 12:12 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
And it will also result in LESS choice. Guess what? There are A LOT of channels out there that "most" people wouldn't choose to subscribe to, if it costs more to do so. Many channels I don't watch, and there are another large group that I only watch occasionally. The channels I watch occasionally are some of the same ones "most" others don't watch, and some of the ones I don't watch will be on others' occasional watch list. ALL of these channels will be gone, without the support of "bundling." I like having the CHOICE of channels available to watch, even if I choose not to watch them. This plan will kill those channels and take away that choice. Kevin
__________________
NCAA Division 1 Championship Leaders: UCLA: 100 Stanford: 94 Southern California: 84 Oklahoma State: 48 Arkansas: 43 LSU: 40 Go PAC 10! |
|
#13
11/02/2007, 09:14 PM
|
|||
|
|||
__________________
A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them G.Washington |
|
#14
11/02/2007, 09:18 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Remember how they broke up the phone company with anti-trust?
Didn't THAT lead to lower prices!!??
|
|
#15
11/03/2007, 01:36 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
nope and it is all one big AT&T again
__________________
A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them G.Washington |
|
#16
11/03/2007, 01:45 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Yawn.................I see some well meaning ignorants trying to unzip my pants in the name of keeping me from getting an anal experience.
__________________
"In all seriousness the SEC is the strongest conference" GrimReefer |
|
#17
11/03/2007, 02:14 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
ummmm.WHAT??
__________________
"I wanna know what I've been hiding, in my shadow"-m.j.k. "well here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why." |
|
#18
11/03/2007, 02:16 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
oh, and if you simply turn off your television and throw it away you would avoid all of this
__________________
"I wanna know what I've been hiding, in my shadow"-m.j.k. "well here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why." |
|
#19
11/03/2007, 07:38 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Mutt,
you have such a way with words.... 
__________________
as scary as it may be, bart and i are very similar in our opinions of this topic ~jpfelix HEY! I lost it first ~CRP There is no "Brain" in "Brian." ~Beerguy |
|
#20
11/09/2007, 02:29 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
__________________
Thought For The Day.... "In the Torah it says "love thy neighbor as thy self". The Buddha says there is no "self". So maybe you are off the hook." |
|
#21
11/09/2007, 02:33 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I am 100% on board with this concept. I have to buy 150+ bloody channels to get the 4 that I want to watch. Apparently I have eccentric tastes or something, because those 4 or 5 channels are not available in anyone's basic packages.
|
|
#22
11/09/2007, 03:21 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
You are going to pay the same damned amount either way.
So after spending several million dollars to fight the suit (which by the way will go from subscribers bank account to the trial lawyers pockets) what if the guy "wins"? Instead of charging you 39.95 a month for 40 channels they will charge 35.00 a month for a basic service fee and 1.00 a channel for the first 5 and a penny a channel after that. The increase in rates will be used to repay the lawsuit. But the lawyer and his family all thank you
__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
|
#23
11/09/2007, 05:44 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Im not one to run to the court system for nothing, but add my name to this list. I currently pay $130 a month for about 5 channels I watch, 4 or 5 my son watches, and cablemodem. Its to the point im about to have everything cut off, including internet. Its just not worth it. $130 extra a month would be quite nice.
__________________
gimme a shiny new manure fork and i'll follow you anywhere. -Nina51 have you pooped yet? -Nina51 __________________ |
|
#24
11/09/2007, 06:17 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
What the heck (PC correct) are you people watching?
We pay $100 a month for TV, Internet access & home phone FIOS rocks |
|
|
Linear Mode
