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News Digest & Commentary
Verizon: We Want Knicks, Rangers In HD!
TVPredictions.com
Washington, D.C. (October 23,
2009) --
Verizon yesterday urged Congress to force Cablevision to provide
High-Definition signals for the New York Knicks and New York
Rangers.
The telco previously issued a complaint to the Federal
Communications Commission that the cable operator is purposely
withholding the HD signals, which are available on the
Cablevision-owned Madison Square Garden channel.
The FCC has yet to act on the request, but Verizon says
Cablevision is trying to gain a competitive edge in the New York
area by denying the signals to the telco. Verizon is making a
strong push in New York to take subscribers away from
Cablevision, which offers TV service there.
The MSG controversy came up against yesterday before a House
subcommittee that is investigating program carriage, according
to an article in Newsday.
Cablevision COO Tom Rutledge told the subcommittee that federal
law permits the cable operator to decide to which TV provider it
sells Madison Square Garden. And in Cablevision's case, it's
crucial that it be allowed to deny a rival TV provider the right
to carry its channel, Rutledge added.
Read more below.
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"These phone companies are significantly larger than
Cablevision, more than 10 times our size," Rutledge said,
referring to Verizon and AT&T, both of which now offer TV
service.
But Verizon issued a statement to the House subcommittee that
said High-Definition programming has become a "must have" for
sports viewers, according to Newsday.
"Whereas a new entrant may be able to create a competing entertainment or news channel if denied access to such programming . . . a new entrant simply cannot create new local sports teams or substitute games from other sports or other cities," wrote Terry Denson, Verizon's vice president of content and programming.
Swanni's Take:
With Congress now getting involved, it's more likely that the FCC will act on Verizon's complaint in the near future. Look for the FCC to hold a hearing on the battle in the coming weeks, with a decision coming soon after that.
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com
or at 703-505-3064.
Click TVPredictions.com to read more news and features on TV technology.
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