FCC Rules Rangers, Devils, Isles Games Must Be in HD on Verizon, AT&T; Cablevision to Appeal
September 22, 2011 2 Comments
From Deadline:
The FCC today has ruled that a pair of high-definition regional sports channels operated by Cablevision’s Madison Square Garden network must be offered to Verizon’s FiOS and AT&T’s U-Verse video services. The move comes after a complaint was filed in July that said MSG refused to sell the formats — which Cablevision carries in its stable of offerings — in the greater New York region, thereby hindering competition. “By directing Cablevision and MSG to make their high-definition programming available within 30 days, the decision promises to give consumers in New York and New Jersey a choice to obtain the sports programming they want,” Verizon SVP and deputy general counsel Mike Glover said in a statement from Verizon announcing the ruling. Verizon also had to petition the FCC to allow it access to standard-definition versions of the channels in 2006.
Cablevision will appeal the FCC decision. The cable company said in a statement that ”the data clearly demonstrates that there has been no competitive harm to the nation’s two largest phone companies as a result of not having two HD channels they already receive in SD….Instead of competing on the merits in the marketplace, Verizon and AT&T are manipulating federal law to gain an unfair advantage.”
Puck The Media 
from Cablevision’s quote about the appeal, the data will come when thousands (if not more) subscribers of Comcast, Cablevision, and Time Warner switch to AT&T UVerse or Verizon FiOS in the coming months, once this gets settled in customers’ favor once and for all. probably myself included.
offering those HD feeds is fair competition for consumers. not offering those HD feeds is how Cablevision creates a market advantage for the local cable companies. if Cablevision is hindering competition with this practice, then what are they scared of?
Cablevision is scared because they offer such an inferior product to Verizon Fios. Not sure about TWC or others but I know Fios is a much better, consumer-friendly service than Cablevision’s antiquated service.
I can’t wait to switch now