Paul Kapustka's Blog
October 30, 2006
A Brightcove user says: Good and getting better
It's easy to write off today's leap by Brightcove into the online video-sharing wars as tooTube little, tooTube late, but after watching the service mature from a front-row seat, I would have to say the race is far from over.
Here at the VONosphere we've been using Brightcove as our publishing platform from the start, a choice made mainly due to their best-in-breed viewer and player technology. At the outset, using Brightcove was a big leap of faith -- we may still be waiting for some of our original files to completely upload. There's also still a few more hoops than most to jump through (such as the need to upload separate images for video stills and thumbnail displays) but in the end I think it is worth it, since you have more control over what appears on your blog or Web site.
(and it doesn't have a big opaque arrow in the middle either.)
After some hiccups in service a month ago (including several outages that had us looking around for alternatives), Brightcove responded and from all appearances, really ratcheted up things on the back end, rolling out new features and increasing performance to the point where wait times (to upload files, mostly) were as fast as your connection could handle.
To me, the next interesting step is to see how Brightcove's advertising system -- and maybe, help from AOL's online sales crew -- helps small publishers conquer the toughest problem around, mainly figuring out how to get paid for creating content on your own. As an early user, all I can say is I'm satisfied and looking forward to the future.
Posted by paul at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)
October 05, 2006
Verizon: First blogs, then video reports?
It's great to see Verizon getting into the blogging game. But what do y'all think about a top telco getting into the video news bidness as well?
This will be interesting to watch, if it ever gets off the ground. If anyone in the D.C. area knows more, please comment below...
Posted by paul at 02:57 PM | Comments (0)
September 20, 2006
VONosphere videos back online
Sorry for the inconvenience... there have been problems Wednesday at Brightcove, our hosting service.
If you are looking for more content please lend an ear to the pulvermedia podcasting network.
Posted by paul at 03:02 PM | Comments (0)
September 16, 2006
Why videoblog? Because we are visual
Allow me to join the debate that has blossomed out of Fall 2006 VON on the why or why not to videoblog. Since earlier this summer, I have made a concerted effort to videoblog, and to do so with regularity (our VONosphere show posts weekly on Thursdays, more often when we are at a show like VON). Why? Because we are visual beings, and sometimes the best filter for information is no filter. Plus, it's fun.
What I mean by no filter: If you watch my report from the PFF's Aspen Summit, you get to hear what the attendees there heard -- Sumner Redstone, an old media lion showing he still has teeth and a roar. Can't accurately capture that depth in words. Or try Tuesday's report from VON. Can you capture all those voices and personalities in a text blog post?
Is videoblogging still a work in progress? You bet. Does it take time and effort? Indeed. But when you can take a standard videocam (thanks to Jeff P, mine is a bit more capable than most), a $49 piece of editing software (I use Visual Communicator 2 from Serious Magic) and start playing around, you gradually learn what works and what doesn't.
Does videoblogging work for every topic? No. As Alec says, it's hard to deliver nuance and deep thinking. [Too bad Alec and I couldn't coordinate schedules to get him on tape at VON; I could have asked him on camera to expand his thinking. :-)]
Does a videoblog need to be every day? Hard to find the time, unless you are Ze Frank. The standard figure is an hour of prep/editing for each minute of video; sometimes it takes less time but it's a good rule of thumb. Quick-hit blogs like Andy's (which dispense the titles, fades/changes, multiple topics or cameras) take considerably less time but deliver a corresponding amount of info. But I think Alec's critique of Andy's video quality is off the mark. Andy isn't trying to be a broadcast star, so why hold him to network standards? There is a lot of info to be delivered in a facial expression -- nuance -- that is much clumsier in video.
Now imagine that multiple people start videoblogging -- maybe using Sightspeed to quickly record their thoughts -- and then someone aggregates or mashes up that content with other video. All of a sudden you have an entertaining news report with multiple points of view -- try getting that out of your nightly news.
Is it the future of media? Not all of it, but it will be part of it. Until all the tools get baked, it's fun to mess around and see what happens.
[For the record, we also use the Brightcove service as our back-end for the VONosphere, though I have also posted some episodes on YouTube as well. The plan is to try as many of these services as we can, to see what works and what doesn't. So far, Brightcove gets the nod due to its flexbile, good-featured player.]
Posted by paul at 02:51 PM | Comments (1)
September 12, 2006
'Video on the Net' a hit at Fall 2006 VON
BOSTON, Mass. -- The overnights are in, and the audience reaction is clear: The inaugural "Video on the Net" program at Fall 2006 VON is a smashing success, packing the house Tuesday in its studio-style conference room.
With "on the air" lights, high-definition monitors for the audience and a sound stage setting, the full day of speakers and panels included top names from the established media industry (including the Washington Post) as well as industry disrupters, including BitTorrent inventor and company CEO Bram Cohen.
In his industry perspective presentation, Cohen said that other video distribution models -- such as video-rental stores who physically stack DVDs on shelves -- "have no way of competing with IP" networks, which have no limit to the amount of content they can make available.
"In the long run, [IP] is the only way to go," Cohen said, allowing anyone who wants to distribute video or film to do it online.
"The good news is that it opens up distribution to anyone," Cohen said, paving the way for the viewing of the many independent films, documentaries or student projects that never make it into big theaters or onto mainstream broadcast networks.
Dmitry Shapiro, CEO of online video-sharing entity Veoh, predicted that many business models will emerge for the nascent industry, which has attracted plenty of interest but not that much in revenues.
"There will be lots of models to monetize content," Shapiro said, including both ad-supported (free to the viewer) as well as subscription-based services.
Cohen, who said that BitTorrent will "soon" release a tool to help people publish things like full-length films more easily, said that peer-to-peer distribution schemes like BitTorrent's will be necessary for the foreseeable future, especially as more high-definition programming surfaces.
"Right now, [the quality of] video on the Net is terrible, and there's still a ways to go for streaming video to be cheap," Cohen said.
Posted by paul at 01:28 PM | Comments (0)
AOL will have TV-based Web search next week
BOSTON, Mass. -- Both visionaries who champion the startup and big-media moguls can agree: Video on the Net is going to be a big, big part of the IP communications economy, sooner than you may think.
In back-to-back keynotes Tuesday morning that showed both the potential of enabled entrepreneurs as well as the might of a popular entertainment entity, VON's Jeff Pulver and AOL's Ted Leonsis gave the Fall VON 2006 audience a glimpse of what their online video experiences of the near future might be, ranging from virtual speeches in imaginary worlds to a wide array of user-selected prime-time-quality content.
Pulver, the founder and chairman of show producer pulvermedia, said he is looking for the "Vonage of video" to emerge soon, taking advantage of price decreases that have made powerful technologies -- like advanced digital cameras and online production platforms -- affordable to small startups or even individuals.
Following Pulver's demonstrations of some cutting-edge technology -- including a motion-picture quality Web video viewer and a "virtual" Webcast of his speech on the Second Life platform -- was AOL veteran Leonsis, who gave the standing-room-only crowd an early announcement of AOL's "10-foot user interface," a Web search screen for televisions that the company will formally unveil next week.
Layered atop AOL's already exhaustive offerings of repurposed broadcast content (like old TV shows), custom Internet programming (its "Sessions" music-video series) and soon-to-come user-contributed video (a YouTube-like service planned for October release), AOL's new Web video offerings are all meant to make it easier for consumers to control their viewing experiences, Leonsis said.
"The Web has truly put the steering wheel in the consumers' hands, and they ain't giving it back," said Leonsis.
AOL also plans to do as much as it can to open up its platforms to make them more accessible to users and developers, Leonsis said, pointing toward the recent announcement of APIs and a developers' program for AIM Phoneline as just a start.
Openness, Leonsis said, is one of the keys to being successful in the Web 2.0 world, which is finally reaching critical mass of advertisers and end users.
"Spring training is over, and the real season has started," Leonsis said. "Now it's our job to make consumers happy."
Posted by paul at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)
September 07, 2006
Jeff Pulver on Rocketboom: A good history
If you're wondering how Jeff Pulver got his start in the VoIP industry or why he started forming communities of interest, watch the excerpt of his interview with Joanne Colan over at Rocketboom.
Great stuff even in the excerpt, about how Jeff started what became Vonage, and how the VON coalition came into being. Lots of extra clips too, follow the links below the main video window.
Posted by paul at 04:43 PM | Comments (0)
VONosphere Webisode #6
Webisode #6 of the VONosphere, our weekly take on all things IP communications, including voice and video on the Net.
Topics: Labor Day weekend, Fall 2006 VON and Video on the Net, Jeff Pulver on Rocketboom, Ed Markey to speak at Fall 2006 VON, fetch the ball doggie.
Links:
Ed Markey to speak at Fall 2006 VON
Posted by paul at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)
August 31, 2006
VONosphere Webisode #5
Webisode #5 of the VONosphere, our weekly take on all things IP commuications...
Topics: Jeff Pulver's guide to TV on the Net; AT&T bids for muni Wi-Fi deals.
Links:
Jeff's Guide to "TV Shows Only Available on the Internet"
Are big telcos leaning toward 'open' loops?
Verizon's Tauke: Muni broadband is OK
Posted by paul at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2006
VONosphere Webisode #4
Webisode #4 of the VONosphere visits Aspen for the Progress & Freedom Foundation's annual summit.
Topics: Sumner Redstone, Disney and iTunes (and BitTorrent), Qwest's Richard Notebaert, Verizon and Video on the Net.
Links:
Verizon's Tauke: Muni broadband is OK
BitTorrent influenced Disney's iTunes move, exec says
Posted by paul at 05:14 PM | Comments (2)
August 21, 2006
BitTorrent influenced Disney's iTunes move, exec says
ASPEN, Colo. -- Seeing a high-quality copy of "Desperate Housewives" obtained 15 just minutes after the episode's airing was a seminal moment in Disney's corporate decision to offer parts of its content online (via Apple's iTunes store), said Disney exec Anne Sweeney in her keynote address Monday morning here at the Progress & Freedom Foundation's Aspen Summit.
Sweeney, whose numerous titles at Disney include that of president of the company's Disney-ABC television group, told a story about how a celebration of ratings success for "Housewives" was dimmed when a Disney employee showed Sweeney and others a copy of an episode obtained via BitTorrent just 15 minutes after it was broadcast.
Coming "face to face" with the high-quality, commercial-free pirated version, Sweeney said, told Disney that it was not just competing with other broadcasters, but with digital pirates -- and as such was an experience that "prompted us to [eventually] do the iTunes deal with Apple."
Calling the iTunes experiment as well as other online forays a business success -- "we are not cannibalizing our audience; it's additive," Sweeney said, citing company research -- Sweeney said to be on the lookout for a new player and more, more more online content from Disney properties sometime this Fall.
If time permits I will add to this later with more stats from Sweeney's talk, including download numbers; but the most important takeaway was that Disney, she said, doesn't see itself as just a broadcaster or a cable channel, but as a provider of content -- and will do all it can to make that content available to its viewers in whatever form they prefer.
Sound like the start of a revolution to you?
Posted by paul at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2006
VONosphere Webisode #3
VONosphere Webisode #3
Topics: Digital Hollywood Building Blocks conference in San Jose; Advertising on 'Video on the Net,' everyone loves Chad Hurley.
Links: Everyone's watching YouTube (Paul Kapustka's Blog)
Posted by paul at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)
August 16, 2006
Everyone's watching YouTube
It's not just us here at planet Pulver who think that Video on the Net is a big, big idea. At Tuesday's Digital Hollywood Building Blocks confab, the cool kid in school was YouTube's Chad Hurley, who probably sprained a wrist shaking hands and exchanging business cards with his post-appearance throng o' groupies.
I don't think the crowd who wanted a piece of Hurley were waiting to talk about the company's service outage problems, nor were they particularly interested in what the new media it-exec had to say during his panel (I missed all but the end, but according to always-observant blogger and longtime industry journalist Dan Farber, Hurley didn't drop any new-think bombshells).
Mainly, they just wanted to grab that ultimate Silicon Valley face-time opp, to pass a business card and to try to impress in 10 words or less. Before he was hustled out of the room, Hurley seemed genial, kind and generally engaged with his crush of admirers. And lest you think the interest is only from those wishing to ride the coattails of the smoking-hot YouTube, be assured that the mainstream is watching Hurley as well.
When the panelists were asked what keeps them awake at night or what worries them about their business, Joe Michaels from Microsoft's MSN Entertainment division won points for honesty by declaring his biggest worry as "two words: You Tube."
More later on a good panel about advertising at the mini-conference, and watch for tomorrow's VONosphere show where you can see the throngs pressing Hurley like he was another Hurley or something.
Posted by paul at 09:29 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2006
VONosphere Webisode #2
This week's webisode of the VONosphere...
Links: Andy Abramson explains WiMax (video)
Posted by paul at 09:58 AM | Comments (1)
August 07, 2006
WSJ 'gets it' with online video series
Any question that Video on the Net is becoming a mainstream business issue was put to rest last week, when the Wall Street Journal blew out the doors with a weeklong series focusing on "Web Video Wars." From Tuesday's top headline ("Big TV's Broadband Blitz") to Friday's ("Plugging the Web Into the TV") the Journal's coverage showed in part that the paper was listening when our own Jeff Pulver talked to them eariler this summer.
Friday's WSJ was in an of itself a mini-snapshot of how TV on the Net is disrupting communications and media business; just check out this list of headlines from the Marketplace section:
Lead story: "Spectrum for Sale," a good preview of the wireless spectrum auction coming up this week, and how firms like cable companies might use the bandwidth to compete in the cellular and broadband markets.
Second story: "Advertisers Turn to eBay To Buy TV Time"
Feature story: "Plugging the Web Into the TV"
Side story: "Music You Can See: Warner Plans to Sell Albums on DVDs"
Inside stories:
"Sony and Rivals Seek Standard For Internet TV"
and then a few stories that show the disruption:
"CBS's Core Broadcast Revenue Slips"
"Sprint Net Falls Amid Fight For Users"
"Tribune and Chandlers Resume Talks on Differences" (about the struggles of Chicago Tribune Co., which spent heavily on broadcast stations)
Yes, it's a plug for our upcoming conference, but if the WSJ thinks these topics are important for business, shouldn't you?
Posted by paul at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)
August 02, 2006
Videoblogger in jail -- where's the outrage?
In a move that should put a chill into any videoblogger's spine, freelance journalist Josh Wolf was put in jail yesterday for refusing to turn over his tape to a grand jury. More details are here in a story by the San Francisco Chronicle, and some opinion is here on the Silicon Valley Watcher blog. Whether or not he is legally right, Wolf deserves support for showing some spine in the face of the rapidly increasing police-state actions against media freedom. Any legal big hitters out there to help keep Josh's back?
For more information from Josh himself (and for a link to contribute to his legal fund) visit his site.
Posted by paul at 02:03 PM | Comments (1)
July 18, 2006
The big kids (like NBC) join the videoblog crowd
As noted by Jeff Pulver in our videoblog last week, the big incumbents in television are part of the disruptive force bringing TV to the Net. Case in point is a new videoblog from NBC chief anchor Brian Williams, with just-good-enough quality that gives the peacock network instant vlogging street cred.
The NBC videoblog, called The Early Nightly, just started this week, according to the Hollywood Reporter, which will probably become a must-read for the Internet TV crowd going forward. In the segment up now, Williams has a camera follow him down the hallway as he shows off the NBC Tel Aviv bureau, and his body armor. Bonus vlogging points to the NBC employees who don't even bother to move to the side as Williams and the cameraholder come past.
While the "edginess" of these clips is likely scripted, the lack of "professional" broadcast quality in the clip shows that NBC, like CNN before it, is more than willing to put stuff up quickly without too much polishing, meaning perhaps that we will get more substance and less flash. It will be interesting to see if Williams uses the vlog to provide background or his opinions on the news as it unfolds, something the format is well suited for.
Lured in by the videoblog, I found myself watching a few of the related clips, including the well-produced, three-minute segment that fully explained what Hezbollah is, and why the various players in the world's newest battle are up in arms. Great stuff, and I didn't have to wait through NBC's prime-time agenda to get it.
Gee, information on demand, when I want it, in a quick, easy-to-digest format. Done by professionals, who aren't afraid to not look their best anymore because they are confident in the material, not the makeup. Anyone want to bet that this is where videoblogging will really succeed, at least for most of the audience?
BONUS online video link: Dave Winer sees a revolution starting with John Edwards' embrace of BitTorrent. Still think we need AT&T's quality of service to get interesting Internet video?
Posted by paul at 01:07 PM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2006
THE WEEK IN VIDEO ON THE NET -- July 13
The Week in Video On the Net, July 13
Amanda Congdon, Revver, Ted Stevens, Video on the Net show, Jeff Pulver.
Posted by paul at 04:51 PM | Comments (0)
July 07, 2006
Pulver TV to Amanda: Videoblog here, no waiting!
Jason Calcanis' offer to build Amanda Congdon a TV studio is a nice gesture, but here at Pulver TV we say, "why wait?" In the video blog below, Pulver TV founder Jeff Pulver (who is a big Rocketboom fan) has a studio ready and waiting for Amanda's hosting talents.
In case you didn't catch the info at the end of the video, Amanda, please contact us at (631) 961-8951, or at jeff@pulver.com. Operators are standing by!
Posted by paul at 07:25 AM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2006
Rocketboom's real-life soap opera
Fans of the popular videoblog Rocketboom got treated to an amazing real-life soap opera Wednesday, when the messy details of a breakup between lead partners Andrew Baron and host Amanda Congdon emerged in he said-she said fashion online.
The latest (and perhaps most complete) missive can be found on Amanda's personal blog here (thanks to Rocketboom groupie Jeff Pulver for the reporting links), as well as other online entries in the saga (including Jason Calcanis' please be mine public bid for Amanda's affections).
All this happened as I was still brain-fermenting a blog about how and why Rocketboom seemed to work so well. After meeting and watching the Rocketboomers in action at the recent Vloggercon conference, I was convinced that they had more than one edge on any competition, for several reasons. One was the fact that both Baron and Congdon clearly understood the Internet culture, shown in no small part by their non-rock-star appearance at the grassroots Vloggercon event (no entourage or posing; the Boomers even sat in the audience for multiple sessions, even though every other vlogger there wanted their "exclusive" Rocketboom interview session).
But the bigger bonus for Rocketboom was Congdon's delivery style, which wasn't mainly about her attractive looks (which don't hurt) but rather the fact that she clearly is an accomplished actor, who knows how to deliver a line, how to enunciate, pause, and convey emotions beyond the writing. That's the talent range that the many me-too web efforts now emerging (which are quick to copy the tight t-shirt look) aren't able to duplicate.
The easy prediction is that Congdon will quickly land another gig, since her style is easily adaptable. Baron, however, may be hard-pressed to duplicate Rocketboom's easy charm with a replacement host. If he really is the genius that Congdon lauds him as, we'll find out quickly. Online, in real time.
Posted by paul at 06:35 AM | Comments (0)
June 12, 2006
YouTube test -- Rocketboom report
Testing the YouTube service...
same report from yesterday, new viewer.
Like it? Hate it? Comment below!
Posted by paul at 05:44 PM | Comments (0)
June 11, 2006
ROCKETBOOM AT VLOGGERCON
Watch the Rocketboom folks, Andrew Baron and Amanda Congdon, give a little insight into their leading videoblog enterprise.
Don't miss the bonus cameo view of Robert Scoble! In his last few moments as a Microsoft employee!
More from Vloggercon tomorrow, including a recap of the "net neutrality" panel I was on.
(Yes, well might you ask, "who is Robert Scoble?" apparently he's a blogger or something.)
Posted by paul at 10:49 PM | Comments (1)
June 09, 2006
GLOBALCOMM VIDEO REPORT
REPORT FROM GLOBALCOMM 2006, CHICAGO
(Same stuff as earlier report, just testing the Brightcove player.)
Like this player? Like the other one? Let me know in the comments.
thanks!
Posted by paul at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)
June 08, 2006
VIDEO REPORT FROM GLOBALCOMM
(drag your cursor onto the screen for video controls)
News report from Globalcomm 2006, Chicago, IL
Jeff Pulver announces Video on the Net, and looks for video pioneers... Microsoft and Juniper announce IPTV security deal, tell service providers that IPTV isn't enough...
Like the video blogs? Let us know in the comments!
Like the Pulver party? Let us know there too!
Posted by paul at 12:36 AM | Comments (0)
June 01, 2006
Thursday, June 1
THE WEEK IN VON
Today's news: Vonage to customers: PAY UP!
THE NEWS: Should customers be forced to pay $17 per share for Vonage IPO reservations?
THE TAKE: C'mon Jeff. Dip into your pocket!
News link:
C/Net: Vonage customers must pay up for IPO shares
News link:
C/Net: Vonage customers must pay up for IPO shares
See you in Chicago next week!
Posted by paul at 04:08 PM | Comments (0)
May 30, 2006
Tuesday, May 30
THE WEEK IN VON
(put your arrow in the lower left corner to play!)
May 30, 2006
Today's news: The Vonage IPO
Last week saw the debut of the Vonage IPO. It lived down to a lot of observers' expectations, falling below the $17 per share offering.
Now hovering at around $13 per share, what does the Vonage IPO mean? That VoIP offerings are doomed? Or that the company has a business plan that is open to criticism?
Probably more of the latter. But it's now up to Vonage to prove the naysayers wrong. And it will have to do so in an increasingly transparent forum.
Posted by paul at 01:11 PM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2006
Disney's Web moves could prove AT&T's 'Fast Net' isn't needed
One hidden feature of today's big news from Disney could be that the success of online video moves -- like Disney's or CBS's recent webcasts of NCAA tournament games -- might completely disprove AT&T's notion that there needs to be a separate 'fast web' to ensure online video delivery.
Even though Disney makes it sound like they are proud partners in the telco vision of the future, it's clear from today's announcement that big TV players aren't going to wait for AT&T and Verizon to build their so-called super networks. Instead, they're betting that today's network connections are good enough for most people, who will take the tradeoff in broadcast quality to have the convenience of click-here TV.
So -- if these things take off, the need for "dedicated" Web conduits for TV could become a moot point. And then the Disneys of the world wouldn't have to share revenue with the service providers, a fact that might bring the big content powerhouses over to the pro-net neutrality camp. Something to watch for, anyway.
Though I don't watch programs like Desperate Housewives or Lost, I was amazed by the usefulness of CBS's web sports moves, both the NCAA plan and this past weekend's Amen Corner Live feature at masters.org, which according to the Masters folks served 1.3 million video streams over the weekend. The latter gave a clear reason why the Web beats broadcast hands-down: When the Masters' schedule was thrown into disarray Saturday due to rain delays, there was no way to find out what was happening Sunday morning via TV, since the planned "broadcast windows" left viewers in the dark until CBS-TV decided it was time for you to know what was going on.
Online? A user's paradise. Not only was there up-to-the-minute scoring, but also the aforementioned live broadcast of the action at Augusta's famed Amen Corner, the pivotal stretch at holes 11-12-13.
What I really want is something like a Slingbox in reverse, that will use Web technologies and search to find interesting video, and then simply channel it to my big screen. I'm guessing the technology for such a trick is already out there, but why not make it simple? Then we'd really have some must-see TV.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Jeff Jarvis notes that content providers need to make this move sooner, not later, regardless of what their traditional partners think. Just like Microsoft with VoIP -- it's gotta have a PC client, even if it means making Verizon and AT&T mad.
David Berlind over at ZD Net, meanwhile, frets that AT&T and Verizon may soon charge you more to watch Disney's stuff. Maybe he didn't hear about the lovefest between Disney's Robert Iger and the telcos at the recent TelecomNext show? Trust us David, it won't be Disney paying AT&T. It'll be AT&T begging Disney to give it "exclusive" content, which AT&T will probably pay Disney for.
Posted by paul at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2006
Telco vs. Cable -- let the Swift-boating begin!
While we work up our smackdown score report from Thursday's House and Senate hearings, here's some entertainment courtesy of the cable companies -- a new web site and ads attacking the telcos' ease-the-video-franchising-rules campaign. As one astute political observer notes, it's "Swift Boat" attacks coming to issue politics.
The real fun -- scroll down on the left side and view the TV ads, "meet the phoneys." Great stuff!
Posted by paul at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2006
Virginia eases video franchising
Can you hear the dominoes falling? Two down, 48 to go... don't forget, we told you so...
Posted by paul at 05:06 PM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2006
National video franchising, coming soon
Though boring, yesterday's Senate Commerce Committee hearing about video franchising rules held a clear signal that it's just a matter of when, not if, that state-level or national rules replace the local franchising setup. Just like the Omegas, the RBOCs are in charge here. The only thing missing was Ted Stevens as Dean Wormer, telling Ed "Marmalard" Whitacre "let's finish this damn thing."
Only problem, there is no Delta house around to sneeze "Eat Me!" or to call for a point of parlimentary procedure. The body language, the lack of tough questioning, all point to an RBOC victory that's all but assured.
Sometimes, it seems the simple arguments are the ones that carry the day. Unlike Network Neutrality, local franchise agreements are something that Chairman Stevens can get his arms around. When he starts asking the cable and local-franchising proponents if they think that cities should be able to extort flower beds and free goodies for their franchise licenses, or if there is some small number of PEG (public, education and government) channels that everyone can agree on, you could see they had no reasonable answers or ready retorts.
As D-Day says, "War's over, man." But this time, there will be no homecoming parade. Instead, localities will have to settle for a check from the state for the franchising fees and local control they used to exchange for rights-of-way and hope that redlining rules aren't as weak as the Faber College ROTC.
Posted by paul at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)