Comments on: Senator Al Franken Tears Comcast CEO New Orifice

By: UPDATED

UPDATED — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:58:47 +0000

Post updated to include link to send Al some money.

By: rob

rob — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:56:28 +0000

TV is the opiate of the masses.

By: Shawn Smith

Shawn Smith — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:45:26 +0000

As someone with a TiVo, I will watch commercials if they look interesting enough (PC vs. Apple, for instance.) That doesn’t mean I’m actually going to buy an Apple computer, or Cialis, or Lunestra, or any other product they’re selling. I’m deeply suspicious that “South Jersey Wedding Photographer” will be accusing me of “piracy” before too long, even though I was using a VCR to do exactly the same thing for more than fifteen years before I got my TiVo. “Programming” a VCR has always been pretty easy, but TiVo made it trivial.

By: lylebot

lylebot — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:25:38 +0000

46% of TiVo users "in the demo" (age 18-49) don't skip the ads, according to Nielsen. Anecdotally, I don't have a TiVo, but I am very lazy. When I switch down to the non-HD channels, I usually don't bother to reset the aspect ratio. I just watch Jon Stewart stretched horizontally 1.33x. So if I did have a TiVo, I probably would end up watching some of the commercials.

By: NewEnglandBob

NewEnglandBob — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:52:06 +0000

I am with JasonTD @comment 9. It becomes too monopolistic.

I rarely watch live TV any more and use a DVR and skip most commercials. I pay over $100 per month to Comcast (for cable, not including more for internet) and I should NOT have to endure the commercials. I was hoping to switch to FIOS whenever it gets to me, but I’ve heard the prices are nearly identical.

By: JasonTD

JasonTD — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:40:02 +0000

Smgumby,

The threat is that Comcast is a company in the business of distribution (a very large one if not the largest) of TV content, while NBC Universal is in the business of producing that content. This merger would then put Comcast/NBC in a position of being able to treat its own content preferentially when setting up packages bundles for people to buy, and when it goes to negotiate payment rates to networks and such. (See the recent Time Warner – Fox negotiation standoff for how those things work.)

So, its not so much an issue of commercial revenue, but of the ability to engage in anti-competitive behavior against other networks and broadband TV providers.

By: Phil

Phil — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:27:21 +0000

Al Franken is the best thing to happen to Minnesota since Hubert Humphrey. Perhaps Americans should elect more comedians, they are certainly smarter than the average politician.

By: South Jersey Wedding Photographer

South Jersey Wedding Photographer — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:36:18 +0000

The concept of traditional TV model is definitely threatened by DVR. What I mean by this is that people used to share a common experience. Everyone watched the shows at the same time and could then talk about it in the office or around town. With DVR, these captive viewing audience is not there. How many times have you gone to talk about a show and had someone say they haven't watched it yet? Too many to count. And yes the purpose of DVRs is the ease of avoiding commericals. I almost never watch commericals. South Jersey Wedding photographer, Philadelphia Wedding photographer

By: Smgumby

Smgumby — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:07:29 +0000

For that matter, go to ANY of the major networks website, and you can watch many shows online “on-demand”. They, also, are FILLED with commercials – commercials that can’t be skipped.

Commercial based programming is not going anywhere.

By: Smgumby

Smgumby — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:01:19 +0000

I watch Comcast on demand ALL THE TIME. They squeeze at least as many commercials into the “on demand” shows as they do on regular broadcast.

Where’s the threat?