NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #23/NN_1992_23.iso/spool/misc/consumer/17714

Internet Message Format | 1992-10-12 | 1.9 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!know!hri.com!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!cs.umn.edu!konstan
From: [e-mail] (Joe Konstan)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Cable Bill Rip-off
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Date: 12 Oct 92 17:34:10 GMT
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OK, I have a feeling that I'm going to open another can of worms, but here
goes:

I'm sure I don't have all of the details right, but wasn't there some
regulation a couple of years ago that prevents cable companies from
carrying network (and syndicated?) programming on non-local stations
if the local station carries the program?  I recall Bay Cablevision
(Richmond/Oakland CA) dropping KCRA, the Sacramento NBC affiliate, since
they had to black out that station during network programming (particularly
annoying since KCRA had been experimenting with early prime time).

If this is the case, I feel that it is a root of the problem.  I'd be
perfectly happy with a system where cable companies could choose to carry or
not carry any station from any city.  Each station would set a rate (which
could be paying for the extra viewership or charging for rebroadcast rights)
and the cable company could find other stations if they weren't happy with
the choices.  Market forces would give local stations an advantage since
local viewers would probably prefer them and since local stations would
have the largest benefit from advertising to local viewers, but the
threat of a nearby city's station being carried instead would keep rates down.

Now, just add local cable competition, and things would be just hunky-dory
(to use a pre-cable days expression).

Joe Konstan