Kyle McSlarrrow, President/CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, said that an attack by Free Press and others on the TV Everywhere concept was without merit, and further, without a factual or legal basis. He said the program is simply a way for MVPD subscribers, whether to cable, satellite or telco, to access on the web the channels to which they already subscribe.
“For those unfamiliar with TV Everywhere, it is just one of several concepts, based on different technologies and business models, being developed for the online video marketplace,” said McSlarrow. “TV Everywhere, specifically, would provide a new service at no extra charge to consumers who subscribe to a multichannel video programming service – whether provided by cable, satellite or telephone companies: the ability to watch TV programs on PCs or laptops, and potentially other Internet-connected devices. It could significantly increase the amount of high-value video content available online – something the FCC has said would help drive broadband adoption.”
He said that rather then trying to stifle content available on the internet, it was trying to increase the amount of content available. “Moreover,” McSlarrow added, “the TV Everywhere concept involves a multitude of competing program networks, most of which distribute their content on competing cable, satellite, telephone and online platforms.”
McSlarrow concluded, “The fact that market participants are experimenting with models in addition to fee or advertiser-supported models is not a sign of anti-competitive conduct. It is a sign of a dynamic and rapidly-changing market in which no one knows the ultimate outcome. Free Press may prefer one video distribution model over another. But that is for the marketplace—and content owners exercising their rights to distribute their content in the manner they choose—to sort out. A model that would give consumers the option to get more value — by access to online content — as part of the TV subscription they already pay for is something that consumers should have the right to embrace or reject.”
