Comcast gobbles up NBC
polycounter lvl 19
http://gizmodo.com/5417897/comcast-eats-ge-nbc-owned-by-cable-provider
Comcast now has controlling stake in "NBC, Hulu, USA, Bravo, Syfy, Oxygen, Versus, CNBC, MSNBC, Universal Pictures movie studio, Telemundo, Universal Studios parks, Focus Features, and broadcast rights to the 2012 Olympics."
This can go soooo bad.
Comcast now has controlling stake in "NBC, Hulu, USA, Bravo, Syfy, Oxygen, Versus, CNBC, MSNBC, Universal Pictures movie studio, Telemundo, Universal Studios parks, Focus Features, and broadcast rights to the 2012 Olympics."
This can go soooo bad.
Replies
Exactly. I don't have a TV either, I watch Hulu. I do not see it being what it is now anywhere in the future for sure after this.
*Edit*
Woot!!!! 100th post, since November 2004.
What a Lazy arse
I'm just venting steam on comcast also. Net Neutrality and now this :poly127:
theyd have to stop your internet to stop you finding them
oh, they'll try.
While they're at it, maybe they can buy McDonalds and gamar correct their slogan because "i amz stiil nert lubin" their butchering of the English language either.
My knees aren't exactly knocking hoping this new guy doesn't hate Heroes. :P
Competing affiliates that run NBC programming are now going to have to pay more money to run that content, so it's going to hurt them and in turn, boost pricing on a local level as well. Same goes with actual competing networks and services, such as ABC, FOX, DirectTV, Dish Network, etc - they all advertise on NBC affiliates and cross-service (sat ads on cable, for example). Comcast will now be able to control those ads (in effect removing them) from NBC and all affiliate NBC stations, simply by jacking up the ad costs. Again, less competition = higher prices for consumers. It's NOT a good thing.
In my country, there is gigantic monopolies on all media, and all service providers advertise on each other's services. The world doesn't end as one communications company swallows up another.
It's just another day of business.
**OH NOES! NBC!**
It's not like NBC was kidnapped in the middle of the night by a bunch of ninjas.
List of Canadian cable providers
List of US cable providers
Your list leaves out all the satellite and digital services. It doesn't have Dish Network, or Direct TV, etc...
Beyond television, this is not good for democracy. A democracy needs a competitive and open source of news information/free press. When you conglomerate media, you loose the little stories and news since everything is consolidated into news outlets per region. Less access to different viewpoints in other words. Less informed ignorant consumer/citizen. More can be gotten away with by those in charge.
There is also the "don't bite the hand that feeds you" mentality at big news corps. So there will be no answering for internal misdeeds done by said Corp publicly. Just look at Fox news.
Finally, this Monopoly effects online access as well. NBC no does not, but it does have a web prescience that Comcast can push forward to their customers above all else (hence why the US Senate needs to get off its ass and pass the net neutrality bill). We don't have options for net service here.
How that thaws your black and white view Jonny.
Yes, and not understanding or ignorance of the consequences. As previously said, you loose viewpoints. And there is the dog not biting its master. That and you whether you know it or not are loosing competition. Want that faster net? Too bad. Want a better price? Too bad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_branch_of_government
I didn't include satellite because I was talking about competition between cable providers.
- I don't like that they reshuffled all the channels putting the public/government, home shopping channels on "basic" and anything worth watching is on expanded basic.
- I don't like that my bill since 2002 has steadily gone up on average of 3-4% per year and the service has not changed (except for the upgrade mentioned above) Their statements normally read like this:
"Price adjustments reflect the increased value of our services, and a more than $100 million investment to provide advanced products and services, improve the quality of our products and improve customer service in Washington,"
Oh really... customer service? Or busy buying up the competition and would like reward me with less options and a higher bill?
- I don't like that my only alternative is satellite of which is nearly impossible to get in my area due to lack of signal.
- I don't like how there used to be a handful of cable, phone and internet providers but they've all been bought out or squeezed out by comcast.
- I don't like that my options are as follows, pay up or unplug.
- I don't like that when they launched In-Demand it was cheaper than renting a movie at a brick and mortar store. But now that those are drying up they are raising their prices on digital content. Nice little bait and switch there. Oh right but that extra cash goes to fund HD channels and content. Well the last time I looked I hadn't signed up for HD yet so why is that cost being passed onto me? What does the extra cost of HD cover if I'm already paying for it?
There are a lot of things to be worried about. Their history is semi-abusive to their customers and they take all they can get. It's not a company with a soul looking to do right by its customers and its customers have nothing to worry. If you give them an inch they'll take a mile, well they just handed themselves the distance from the earth to the moon.
It's comastic alright...
that price is also "to reflect the quality of the service being provided".
at least there's no ads on state television.
we also have TV2, which has ads every 30 minutes. its a "free" addition, except you need a TV signal receiver to receive it...
Perhaps you didn't mean it as such, but that came off as really arrogant. People's lives do not "revolve" around TV. It's a form of entertainment and stress relief, just like playing games, just like making art, reading a book or having a party. If your book sucks, you're going to complain. If someone spills a beverage all over you, you're going to complain. If my cable service provider is an asshole, I'm going to complain.
Variety in all mediums is a GOOD thing. What if you went to go buy an CD and every store is only carrying Patsy Cline and Frank Sinatra? Oh, you wanted something else? TOO BAD. Want a good book? All they carry is Harry Potter and Twilight - TOO BAD. Oh, and they each cost $30, since there's no competition to drive prices down. TOO BAD.
I don't see why it's hard to understand the problems with monopolizing cable TV like this, or any business in general. Less competition leads to higher prices and less innovation, which sucks for everyone.
And with monopolies yeah they are going to have higher bills regarding that. The point you are trying to make is making it sound that Tv is the only entertainment method available, if i went to a book store and there was only twilight or harry potter , after shooting myself i would go do something else, sucks, but what can i do ? complain ? yeah its a good way to manifest your dislike for something but it rarely does any good, since...well...they have a monopoly :P or i can just go ride a bike or something.
But yeah, sucks that is happening :S
Until your arrested for riding your Bike because it was banned locally, and since local news was non-existent with the large Monopoly feeding people news nationally from one bias. The lead up to the law was never covered.
government sanctioned
Let me make a quick list of things that need regulating that affect people's lives a multitude more than any media monopolies:
*Prison (200 rapes a day in the US, 2,500 children in prison for life without parole)
*Education (locally funded by surrounding property values, ensuring poor kids get substandard under funded eductation)
*Voting (gerrymandering, lack of public holiday or voter protection rights to ensure time off to vote, as well as no decent public transportation, ensures the US has one of the lowest turn outs of eligable voters of any democracy/republic)
*Water (people in West Virginia literally get rashes and lose teeth from the horrible water quality from mining companies dumping shit into the water supply)
That's not even starting on any of the foreign meddling that are atrocities on an unbelievable scale. But, let's all lose sleep over the next episode of America's next Desperate Heroes being expensive to watch.
I mean, if you want to get upset about lack of media coverage in the US, you could start with the pulletzer prize winner for journalism last year going completely without mention. (because it was about the 7 generals who basically manufactured consent for the Iraq war by parading as unbiased experts when in reality they were paid pentagon hacks).
Or the fact that the US media doesn't report on all the thousands of atrocities committed against Palistine, yet manages to report on any Israelis facing even the threat of violence. But all of those problems existed well before this merger.
Don't worry, all of the things that manufacture complacency, ignorance, and a desire for consumption will remain, so anything you guys are a fan of will have at least 10 seasons.
We can talk about those things, it just so happens this thread is about a media merger, so we should probably stick to the topic at hand.
and Oxynary: you crazy, man
1. inconvenience
2. ????
3. room 101
Your just now figuring that out?
But this topic was specifically about one thing. Not global issues. Feel free to discuss our government's total lack of intelligence. I certainly would. But do it in another thread please.
...I think you killed it, Ben.
Didn't want to start a new one and end up in the hotseat like Ben. However, i do believe beyond personal feelings. This can effect us. What if say, Comcast doesnt like the traffic that a game uses. So blocks access to that online game unless say you the publisher (or client) pay a fee?
http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/06/technology/net_neutrality_fcc_comcast/index.htm)
https://secure.freepress.net/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=437