FCC rules in favor of NFL re: NFL Network (1 Viewer)

[joffer]

link

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission has sided with the National Football League in a long-running programming dispute with Comcast Corp.

The FCC says Comcast should carry the league's NFL Network on its popular digital cable package.

The commission ruled that Comcast discriminated against the NFL Network by agreeing to carry the channel only on a more expensive sports cable service. The NFL filed the complaint against Comcast in May.

The FCC ruling now goes before an administrative law judge, who could force Comcast to carry the NFL programming at a certain price.

Comcast has argued that consumers will have to pay more for programming many may not want if the company is forced to include the NFL Network in its regular digital cable package.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

 

[Bri]

by th time all the rulings and decisions happen it'll be next football season.

BTW I have always found it odd that comcast advertises on some of the NFL's sites.

 

[joffer]

by th time all the rulings and decisions happen it'll be next football season.

i'll take it

 

[BigJim®]

I'm not sure if Time Warner even has a contract with NFL? They didn't last time I cared about them (I'm with Comcast now). If they don't have a contract yet, this probably doesn't impact their situation much other than getting them a lower price to finally do a deal with NFL. If some rule says they can't subsidize the cost by putting it on a premium channel, they won't pay what they might have been willing to pay.

 

[BassNBrew]

link

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission has sided with the National Football League in a long-running programming dispute with Comcast Corp.

The FCC says Comcast should carry the league's NFL Network on its popular digital cable package.

The commission ruled that Comcast discriminated against the NFL Network by agreeing to carry the channel only on a more expensive sports cable service. The NFL filed the complaint against Comcast in May.

The FCC ruling now goes before an administrative law judge, who could force Comcast to carry the NFL programming at a certain price.

Comcast has argued that consumers will have to pay more for programming many may not want if the company is forced to include the NFL Network in its regular digital cable package.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Why does this apply to the NFL network and not every other cable station? Would this eliminate preminium tiers?

 

[KnowledgeReignsSupreme]

I swear this country is straight up crazy sometimes. If Comcast wants to include the NFL Network on a more expensive package, then they should do so. The NFL about this is just .

 

[heckmanm]

link

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission has sided with the National Football League in a long-running programming dispute with Comcast Corp.

The FCC says Comcast should carry the league's NFL Network on its popular digital cable package.

The commission ruled that Comcast discriminated against the NFL Network by agreeing to carry the channel only on a more expensive sports cable service. The NFL filed the complaint against Comcast in May.

The FCC ruling now goes before an administrative law judge, who could force Comcast to carry the NFL programming at a certain price.

Comcast has argued that consumers will have to pay more for programming many may not want if the company is forced to include the NFL Network in its regular digital cable package.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Some serious going on right here. Perhaps we should all send them a list of the current programming we don't want but are paying for.

 

[DolphinsFanAlways]

It is just plain STUPID. I had to sit back and watch my cable bill go up for both the Yankees and the Mets (When Im a SF Giants fan....So it was for a channel that I never watch. But then When one comes along that I would be more then willing to pay a little extra for, I can't get it

 

[Topes]

I swear this country is straight up crazy sometimes. If Comcast wants to include the NFL Network on a more expensive package, then they should do so. The NFL about this is just .

Well, if that violates the agreement NFL has with Comcast, then they should not. Don't know that it does. But if the NFl offers the channel to Cable companies on the condition that the cable companies must provide it in a base package and the cable companies violate that agreement by offering it a la carte or in an upgrade package, then the NFL has a beef.It's how contracts work.

If Comcast wants to include the NFL Network for free, and not pay the NFL a dime for it, then they should do so.

That doesn't make much sense, does it?

It doesn't make sense for the same reason that Comcast violating the terms of service in another way doesn't make sense.

 

[Topes]

It is just plain STUPID. I had to sit back and watch my cable bill go up for both the Yankees and the Mets (When Im a SF Giants fan....So it was for a channel that I never watch. But then When one comes along that I would be more then willing to pay a little extra for, I can't get it

Yep, it does blow. We all pay for a lot of channels we don't watch. I probably pay for Fox News.

 

[Carver Lee]

It is just plain STUPID. I had to sit back and watch my cable bill go up for both the Yankees and the Mets (When Im a SF Giants fan....So it was for a channel that I never watch. But then When one comes along that I would be more then willing to pay a little extra for, I can't get it

Yep, it does blow. We all pay for a lot of channels we don't watch. I probably pay for Fox News.

AT&T has a new service in my area. I got it and NFL Network this year. I REALLY enjoyed finally returning my Comcast equipment and telling them to shove it.

 

[captbly]

It is just plain STUPID. I had to sit back and watch my cable bill go up for both the Yankees and the Mets (When Im a SF Giants fan....So it was for a channel that I never watch. But then When one comes along that I would be more then willing to pay a little extra for, I can't get it

Yep, it does blow. We all pay for a lot of channels we don't watch. I probably pay for Fox News.

AT&T has a new service in my area. I got it and NFL Network this year. I REALLY enjoyed finally returning my Comcast equipment and telling them to shove it.

Comcast offers it. you just have to pay for it. Now it sounds like they will raise the basic price to include it. Im not happy about that. I really dont need the NFL network.

 

[FinHead]

This still doesn't help those of us stuck with Charter

 

[Phurfur]

The NFL channel is WAY over-rated and the NFL in general is starting to suffer from over exposure.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

The NFL channel is WAY over-rated and the NFL in general is starting to suffer from over exposure.

Went to the race in Charlotte last night so I missed the PSU - Wisky game. I turn on Sportscenter at 10 this morning and 90% of the freaking show is about the NFL. No PSU highlights at all. Hey idiots, you have a 2 hour freeaking show coming on at 11am devoted soley to the NFL. Show something else on the 10am sportscenter. ####!

 

[mad sweeney]

This still doesn't help those of us stuck with Charter

It does, eventually, if they have the same "beef" with the NFLN. Once appeals or whatever Comcast will want to do to fight this is over then smaller companies will have to fall under as well. One thing I haven't seen in here is a bit from a longer article I read that basically said the FCC determined the argument of sending out a sports channel to customers that don't specifically want it was a bogus argument when they offer the Vs Golf, NHL and other smaller sports channels on their basic package. The same package that NFLN wants to be included on.

 

[BigJim®]

This still doesn't help those of us stuck with Charter

One thing I haven't seen in here is a bit from a longer article I read that basically said the FCC determined the argument of sending out a sports channel to customers that don't specifically want it was a bogus argument when they offer the Vs Golf, NHL and other smaller sports channels on their basic package. The same package that NFLN wants to be included on.

Wouldn't this counter argument only be relevant if NFLN was willing to charge cable providers the same as Vs. charges? Are they even remotely close in term of cost to the Cable provider?

 

[BassNBrew]

The NFL channel is WAY over-rated and the NFL in general is starting to suffer from over exposure.

Went to the race in Charlotte last night so I missed the PSU - Wisky game. I turn on Sportscenter at 10 this morning and 90% of the freaking show is about the NFL. No PSU highlights at all. Hey idiots, you have a 2 hour freeaking show coming on at 11am devoted soley to the NFL. Show something else on the 10am sportscenter. ####!

News flash...no one cares about PSU