Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled for broadcasters in the
ABC Inc. v. Aereo case, which was the appeal of a 2
nd Circuit Court decision over Aereo’s business model that allows transmission of broadcast TV content over the Internet. Here’s some coverage from
USA Today and the
New York Times.
Parents Television Council President Tim Winter
responded to the ruling:
“We are greatly disappointed with today’s
Aereo ruling and we believe that the majority’s opinion failed to reflect the reality of today’s media landscape. This is a ruling for the status quo that hurts consumers. Aereo had the potential to break up the bundled-channel cable TV model that is forcing Americans to pay higher cable bills year after year for channels they don’t want or don’t watch.
“Broadcasters deliver their product to almost every home in the nation for free via a license to use the publicly-owned airwaves – a resource that has been valued at half a trillion dollars – and they also generate revenue from cable companies that pay the broadcasters to carry their networks as part of a programming bundle. Cable companies then pass those costs directly to consumers. And today’s ruling will force consumers to pay for using a portion of the airwaves they already own.
“Still, today’s decision doesn’t change the fact that the cable TV model is crumbling, as more consumers are choosing to cut the cord and find alternatives to get the content they want at a lower cost. We believe that true consumer cable choice will become a reality because it is the best free market solution for consumers.”
To learn more about Cable Choice, click
here.
