AT&T Files Program-Access Complaint Against Cablevision
Telco: Cablevision Engaged in Anticompetitive Practices Over MSG HD
By MCN Staff -- Multichannel News, 8/13/2009 8:28:57 PM
AT&T filed a complaint Aug. 13 with the FCC, charging that Cablevision has engaged in anticompetitive practices over access to high-definition programming on its Madison Square Garden network.
The filing follows a similar program-access complaint lodged in July by Verizon, which said Cablevision "intentionally and unlawfully" refused to make available sports programming featuring the New York Knicks and New York Rangers -- which it owns -- as well as the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabers.
According to Reuters, AT&T noted that, based on FCC rules, cable operators such as Cablevision, can't prevent other video providers from offering a competing service to customers. The company's Connecticut customers currently receive Madison Square Garden programming.
Cablevision, in a statement, said: "AT&T is late to the game and doesn't want to play by the rules. Their customers already receive every single game offered on MSG and MSG Plus. Now they want the FCC to force MSG to hand over its HD programming, which is a product of many years of technological development and investment. The idea that a phone company more than 15 times our size needs a regulatory bailout is absurd."
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"Proud Product", last I checked, Cablevision's name isn't on any of the patents for the technology involved in broadcasting in HD, and none of their staff was involved in the development of said technology. (And based on the recent performance of their teams, I wouldn't be "proud" of them either) The only thing they invested in was a massive launch of their digital cable system with custom boxes from Sony, and the launch was a huge failure ($29 moore for the digital channels, $10 more if you wanted Music Choice, $10 more if you wanted the interactve elements, gee Dolans, I wonder why there wasn't a flood of new subscribers at the start), and they no longer use those Sony boxes.
They're basically exploiting a loophole that only hurts the CONSUMER, and this needs to be stopped NOW and no more "Grandfathering" BS. They need to rewrite the rules to say once they open up a landlocked channel to ANY direct competitor (satellite, fiber, cable) they have to open up negotations with ALL other competors. This would open up MSG HD since DirecTV carries it, as well as CSN Philly since FiOS carries it in areas that directly compete with Comcast.
Dolan's Suck - 8/14/2009 5:55:11 PM EDT -
Where did you interpret that it was "no big deal"? The article states that the HD offering is a product of many technological advances. Would seem to me that they clearly value it.
Anthony - 8/14/2009 3:08:42 PM EDT -
Gee Cablevision, if not having MSG and MSG Plus in HD is no big deal competively, why the hell do you constantly run ads that highlight the fact that Dish Network, FiOS and U-Verse don't have it...
KyL416 - 8/13/2009 9:43:22 PM EDT
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