Oh and Speaking of Comcast. FCC sides with the NFL

[DREDIOCK]

Read about this a few days ago
Thought some might be interested

FCC goes with NFL Network against Comcast

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081013-fcc-goes-with-nfl-network-against-comcast.html

"The Federal Communications Commission weighed in on the bitter battle between the NFL Network and Comcast on Friday night. The agency says that it finds convincing charges that Comcast fouled NFLN by refusing to carry it on its most popular tier. The Commission also sympathizes with evidence suggesting that Comcast demanded a financial interest NFL Network programming in exchange for carriage, another violation of the agency's rules. "

[Eagler]

taking over information services seems to be the next step .. I mean once they control banks, businesses and health care .. what's next

I think comcrap should be able to market their products whatever way they seem fit. no one is twisting anyone's arm here, except the gov ..  as usual

[BoilerDown]

Good ruling.

[Eagler]

Good ruling.

why?

should a company not set the price for their own product/services or should big brother?

[rpm]

Eagler, that's what NFLN is saying. Comcast wants a cut of NFLN.

The FCC says that the NFL Network has made a prima facie case against Comcast. The Commission found that NFLN has presented "sufficient evidence" that Comcast "indirectly and improperly demanded a financial interest in the NFL’s programming in exchange for carriage." The controversy centers around Comcast's alleged efforts to acquire licensing rights to the NFL Network's Eight-Game package for Comcast's Versus network. Comcast insists that the bid did not represent a demand for equity in the NFLN enterprise.

[Eagler]

this is what I see:

"The sports programmer has asked the FCC to fix the problem by ordering Comcast to run the service alongside the cable giants' own expanded basic tier sports channels, prominent among them Versus and the Golf Channel. Comcast has countercharged that the NFLN doesn't need access to the MVPD's basic tier to compete, and that it puts the show on a more expensive tier because the network asks for higher access prices than other sports video services."

"Despite its vastly smaller slate of live-event programming, NFLN charges cable operators license fees that are more than twice the fees charged by either the Golf Channel or Versus," Comcast told the FCC in June. "Comcast's decision not to saddle most of its customers with the high costs of the limited-appeal NFLN is eminently reasonable."

[rpm]

I believe their ratings for NFLN are greater as well. I'm not defending either side. Just saying NFLN has a case.