FCC paves way for studios to push first-run movies into the home

By GottaLaff

With all the big flat screens and spiffy high def Blue Ray DVD players and other techie gizmos, how could this not happen? Not to mention the whole "let's make more money" thing.

Via an e-mail alert from the L.A. Times:

Federal regulators have granted a controversial waiver to the Hollywood studios that clears the way for people to watch movies in their home shortly after -- or even during -- their release in theaters.

The Federal Communications Commission today granted a petition from the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the chief lobbying group for the major studios, that would permit use of a so-called selectable output control technology for watching first-run movies in the home.

The technology prevents the illegal copying of movies, which has been a stumbling block to delivering first-run movies into the home and directly to consumers. [...]

The move has been opposed by both movie theater operators and consumer groups, the former who worry it would undercut ticket sales and the latter who say it would interfere with other devices that plug into the TV.

I rarely get to a movie theater. I am on Cloud 10.

Net Neutrality Watch: New U.S. Push to Regulate Internet

By GottaLaff

Consumer groups are happy. In fact, they "hailed" the decision. This is a big deal:

In a move that will stoke a battle over the future of the Internet, the federal government plans to propose regulating broadband lines under decades-old rules designed for traditional phone networks.

The decision, by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, is likely to trigger a vigorous lobbying battle, arraying big phone and cable companies and their allies on Capitol Hill against Silicon Valley giants and consumer advocates.

Breaking a deadlock within his agency, Mr. Genachowski is expected Thursday to outline his plan for regulating broadband lines. He wants to adopt "net neutrality" rules that require Internet providers like Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc. to treat all traffic equally, and not to slow or block access to websites.

[...] The court ruled the FCC had overstepped when it cited Comcast in 2008 for slowing some customers' Internet traffic. [...]

At stake is how far the FCC can go to dictate the way Internet providers manage traffic on their multibillion-dollar networks. For the past decade or so, the FCC has maintained a mostly hands-off approach to Internet regulation.

Again, forgive my lack of commentary today. (I've been consumed with tech issues.) But here's a short one: Yay!

H/t: ZenShadow

Court Rules Against F.C.C. in 'Net Neutrality' Case

By GottaLaff

There are 10 judges on the court appointed by Republican presidents, 4 by Dems, per Thom Hartmann (if I heard him right just now). He labeled this a "shot across the bow" and a major setback for the FCC.

Via a New York Times e-mail alert:

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission lacks the authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks.

Tuesday's ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia is a big victory for the Comcast Corporation, the nation's largest cable company. It had
challenged the F.C.C.'s authority to impose so called "net neutrality" obligations.

Worrisome, to say the least.

Obama nominates tech executive to be FCC chair

By GottaLaff

Via Raw Story, we get the scoop on the new nominee for FCC chair. Let's hope he paid his taxes:

US President Barack on Tuesday nominated veteran technology executive Julius Genachowski to be chairman of the powerful regulatory Federal Communications Commission (FCC). [...]

Genachowski, 46, a former Harvard Law School classmate, served as Obama's chief high-tech adviser during his presidential campaign.

Talk about qualified... we all know how that turned out. We have a winner.

He worked for eight years at Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp and as a venture capitalist with Rock Creek Ventures and Launchbox Digital.

Genachowski also served as an adviser to the FCC chairman during the administration of former president Bill Clinton.

Genachowski's first challenge will be to supervise the June shift from analog to digital television broadcasting in the United States. [...]

Obama has also made extending high-speed broadband Internet coverage throughout the United States one of the priorities of his administration.

FCC commissioners serve five-year terms on the five-member panel. Genachowski's nomination is subject to approval by the Senate.

Joe Scarborough Drops The F Bomb on "Morning Joe"

Heh, thanks to Bob for letting me know what all the blather was about, I missed the F bomb but heard all the dancing afterwards.