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- Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!newsserver.pixel.kodak.com!psinntp!psinntp!execnet![tom.betz@execnet.com]
- From: "tom betz" <tom.betz@execnet.com>
- Newsgroups: misc.consumers
- Subject: cable bill solution
- Message-ID: <1992Oct8.1281.16999@execnet>
- Date: 8 Oct 92 04:35:58 EST
- Reply-To: "tom betz" <tom.betz@execnet.com>
- Distribution: misc
- Organization: Executive Networks Information
- Lines: 32
-
- Quoth David Sternlight regarding CABLE BILL RIP-OFF on 10-07-92:
-
- DS>In my view the new cable bill is one of the most blatant examples of
- DS>a rip-off of consumers by Congress, to shamelessly bribe the
- DS>broadcasting industry.
- DS>
- DS>It's economic baloney for the broadcasters to claim they should be
- DS>paid by the cable companies for carrying their programming.
-
- The odds are that very few broadcasters will be paid. In fact, the bill
- does not mandate such payment, only permits broadcasters to negotiate it.
-
- DS>To the contrary, broadcasters get paid by advertisers, and what they
- DS>get paid is a function of the number of viewers.
-
- So do Lifetime and MTV and USA and all the other cable channels. So? If
- cable companies can't negotiate a reasonable deal, they don't have to
- carry the local stations. There's always WGN and WPIX WOR and all the
- other superstations... and you can bet that somewhere in the country is a
- network affilliate willing to provide its programming on a satellite feed
- for any cable system to pull down for free; more than likely several.
-
- The fact is that this is a minor clause in a larger bill that is actually
- a long-overdue regulation of the cable monopolies.
-
-
-
- ---
- ■ WinQwk 2.0 a#299 ■ Think Universally, Act Selfishly
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