Should the FCC allow Internet cable services? Did Amazon have its House of Cards moment? Is Roku sleazy?
CordKillers: Ep. 38 – Tony Stark in a Cubicle
Recorded: September 29, 2014
Guest: Roberto Villegas
Intro Video
Primary Target
- FCC Proposes Defining ‘Linear’ OVDs as MVPDs
- -Multichannel news has ‘multiple sources’ who say FCC
– Preparing NPRM define an online video provider that delivers a linear stream of programming as an –MVPD, similar to a cable or satellite operator.
– Would have access to programming through access rules but also negotiate retrans fees.
– The FCC tentatively concluded that an MVPD has to have control of both the content and the transmission path .
– That killed Sky Angel which suspended service when Discovery pulled out
– New rules would remove requirement for transmission path
– NCTA argues transmission path necessary. Argues this would be “regulation of the Internet”
Signal Intelligence
- Amazon’s Potential Breakout Series “Transparent” Premieres
- – Transparent – created by Jill Soloway (6 Feet Under, United States of Tara, Afternoon Delight film)
– 10 episodes up now. (Sep. 26)
Gear Up
- As Roku grows, it’s moving towards pay-to-play for successful channels
- – Roku has 1800 channels. Open to anybody through an API and a few rules
– Now calling popular channels and asking for revenue deals.
– Sources told GigaOm’s Janko Roetgerrs they were pretty aggressive
– Roku Stephen Shannon (Gm SVP content and services) says as revenue increases Roku has more sophisticated offerings which share revenue but increase promotion
– Roku considers themselves an “Internet Services Company”
– Margins on $50 boxes are not large
Front Lines
- Remember MoviePass the subscription service that gives you access to movies in theaters?
- -Well they’re still kicking and raised $2.2 million in new financing. These days the offering is about $30 a month to watch up to one movie a day. MoviePass is already accepted at 93% of movie theaters nationwide.
- Spike TV is developing a series based on Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy with Game of Thrones producer Vince Gerardis.
- -The series would be named after the first book, Red Mars with Robinson on board as a consultant.
- Real Genius will be rebooted as an NBC “modern-day workplace comedy focusing on the relationship of two incompatible co-workers.”
- -Written by David King (Parks and Rec) and Craig DiGregorio (Workaholics) Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment and Sony TV are all onboard.
- Redbox Instant has not been able to sign up new customers, or allow existing customers to change payment information, for three months.
- -Rumors are swirling about whether Redbox will get out of the business, switch to just rentals, fold into Verizon’s OnCue or what.
- Apple TV got some new channels.
- -Sky’s Now TV service added entertainment and movies to the sports it already offered in its app. In the US you can now get the FX Now app which is supposed to get all the Simpson’s episodes at some point in October.
- Apple TV adds FX Now, still sans ‘The Simpsons’
Under Surveillance
- Vevo original shows are multiplying — and getting animated
- –Vevo has its biggest slate of original shows since it began originals 5 years ago.
– 100 episodes of original programming.
– “A.K.A,” in which artists like Iggy Azalea, Neon Trees and Avicii explain how they got their stage or band names. Animations illustrate the stories - Amazon flagship show ‘Alpha House’ returns for a binge Oct. 24
- Brian: Thor 2, Fargo. Transparent, Getting Doug with High (Jack Black), Legend of Korra season 3
- Tom: Jodorowsky’s Dune, Agents of SHIELD, Fargo, The Shield (306), Transparent, Once Upon a Time
- Roberto: Red vs Blue, RWBY Volume 2, Space Dandy,
Dispatches from the Front
Hey guys,
I’ve loved your show since the FR days.
So you have been talking about spoilers recently, and I have a question for Tom. You mentioned on It’s Spoilerin Time that Brian’s spoilers for the season finale of The Leftovers did not affect your enjoyment of the episode. Then later you discussed Mum, one of the most pivotal episodes of The Shield (amazing show!), and I’m curious if you would have enjoyed that as much if you knew what was going to happen. It sounds like you experienced the gut-punch from this episode that Brian felt when he watched The Leftovers finale. Of course enjoying an episode and having that “Holy s–t!” feeling don’t have to be the same, but I think there are certain scenes that have such an impact, it’s better not to know what’s coming. [And there’s another scene that you will eventually experience with The Shield that will make this one seem tame.]
Oh, and fun fact for Brian: the writer, or at least co-writer of Mum was Kurt Sutter, the creator of Sons of Anarchy (another great show).
Thanks guys. You rock.
Daryl
Hey guys, it’s your boss. Though it is my first time contacting you, I have been a listener since the days of a show that I think was called “RameFrate”
Literally days away from breaking down and signing up for the service, I decided, on a whim, to connect a coax cable to an empty outlet behind my TV to see if any channels were able to be received. When I did a channel-scan, however, I was shocked to find that I am receiving almost 80 channels for free. Granted most of these are music, shopping, and crappy old movie channels, but I am getting all of the broadcast stations based in Memphis, Sundance, AMC, SEC network, NFL network, and Fox Sports 2, most in HD. When I researched this, I found that many cable providers send a few unscrambled QAM channels out over any active line. Apparently, as long as I continue receiving internet service, these channels are both legal and free. The only drawbacks that I have found are a lack of a channel guide and channels sometimes moving around. All that I really wanted was the local broadcast stations in order to watch local sports programming, so this has saved me from signing up for TV service. I hope that this will be helpful to some of your listeners in the same way that it was to me. Thanks for a great show!
Jared
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