I was at the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities hearing for AB 604, which was carried on Wisconsin Eye (the archived video will be here when it does get archived), which would essentially require cable companies to carry The NFL Network and The Big Ten Network, as well as any other network that feels the slightest bit aggrieved, on whatever package those networks want, with merely the price to go before a binding arbitrator. Yes, you heard me right, and I believe I heard the Assembly Legislative Counsel right; whichever side calls for arbitration has every term of its “best, final” offer except the price accepted as unchangable and unchallengable. What is unclear is what happens if both sides call for arbitration.
That, however, was only one of the two bombshells dropped at the hearing. The other is that the NFLN is now willing to accept placement on “standard” digital cable rather than basic cable (BTN is still demanding both ESPN basic-cable placement and ESPN money “for the taxpayers’ sake”). In my humble opinion, Time Warner and Charter should jump at this offer.
As for the bill itself, why should government stick its fat snout into a private business dispute, especially with a bill guaranteed to not only force the NFLN/BTN on basic cable but also open Pandora’s Box for every other of the 430 potential cable networks not currently on basic cable to worm their way in? Wasn’t the big national push to get “a la carte” channels? Isn’t that preferable to a government-mandated 500-channel “basic” cable system?
