The Next Train Wreck? Random Notes
Nope.
Not warning about February 17, 2009. Warning about some later fallout from that likely noisy fiasco.
(Don’t think so? Just think about it. Who’s the Shinseki of this undertaking?)
Coming to a Congress near you sometime in mid to late ’09: The introduction of The Telecommunications/Entertainment/Information Act of 2010.
It will take center stage sometime late next year. This will be truly fun to watch. Cringe? Cry? Scream? Panic? Bite nails? Scratch heads?
A Congressperson of some knowledge (most likely that one from MA) will introduce a wide-ranging mess of words attempting to redefine the telecommunications, entertainment, information, communications (and other) businesses in order to form a more perfect union… oops, I mean, regulate and tax it.
Right, of course, as the world shifts again. It’ll be another exercise in regulating yesterday in the name of catching up with the times. But it’ll impact us all… content generators, content providers, news services, distributors (cable, satellite, telco, broadband, storefront, mailers and more) and innocent bystanders.
* Ah, American Economics: Let’s see… Jamie Dimon, J. P. Morgan Chase and the Federal Reserve Bank is buying (maybe, the market might still decide) everybody’s favorite investment bank Bear Stearns for $2/share (down a little bit from its high last year). The risk lies with the Fed; that is, taxpayers. The upside goes to Mr. Dimon’s little company. That certainly looks like capitalism for the upside and socialism for the downside. And this has been a Republican Administration?
* No Martin(et) Cable Agenda @ FCC? When it is words vs deeds, deeds never lie. So let’s all watch closely now as the Federal Confusion Commission considers (maybe, someday) the ACA‘s repeated requests for an equitable handling of the dual must carry mandates following the upcoming so-called digital transition. As Matt Polka has noted, small cable operators are still in line for that burden as the FCC has given the 2nd and 4th largest multichannel platform providers an extra four years to comply. Hardly seems like that level playing field all of these regulators say they want, does it? Still, maybe Martin will cave on this bit… it doesn’t prove the lack of that agenda… just that the agenda isn’t aimed (squarely) at the little guys. This Administration does, after all, accept a certain amount of collateral damage.
* Speaking of ACA: Booked your flights and rooms for the 15th Anniversary of the founding of the American Cable Association? It’ll be a great dinner (I guarantee it… I’m the emcee) the evening of Mon, Apr 7 in DC. For info: www.americancable.org. Then stick around in order to blitz Congress and look over the FCC’s shoulder.www.americancable.org.
* But, Schuss First! Don’t fret, there are easy connections out of Denver on the 6th and 7th to enable you to get from Vail and Ski-TAM before DC. This is another of the more amazing things the cable industry has collectively done that somehow misses the getting-credit-for-it part of life. The industry funds the US Disabled Ski Team. No small feat (for all involved). Collectively, we do a hell of lot of good via Cable Positive, Kaitz, WICT (and another, personal, small shout out for Comcast’s Tracy Baumgartner: thanks!), NAMIC, CTAM… and more. Good for us. But we’ve a got more to do.