News Corp Bans Cablevision Customers From Watching Hulu

[The Straight Story]

News Corp Bans Cablevision Customers From Watching Hulu

News Corp. and Cablevision are currently stuck in a classic cable vs programming "we pay too much, you pay too little" fight. But this time around News Corp. is flexing more muscle by banning Cablevision Internet users from accessing Hulu too.

When the clock struck midnight on Saturday, Cablevision customers could no longer watch FOX on their TV. That's because News Corp. (which owns FOX) and Cablevision couldn't come to an agreement on the fees that Cablevision should pay News Corp. It's something that's happened before with other networks and other cable providers but the new twist is that News Corp. is using their stake in Hulu to ban Cablevision Internet users from accessing FOX content on Hulu as well.

The problem this raises is that if programmers are using a ban of accessing Hulu (an internet website, after all) as leverage against a cable provider for TV fees, it's only going to kill the hope and promise of net neutrality. If cable providers and programmers continue to have their way, the web could turn into the big fucking mess that cable is.

And even worse, what happens when a cable provider and progammer, like for example Comcast—which owns NBC and thus has a stake in Hulu—one day decides that in order to access NBC content on Hulu, you need to have Comcast and other cable providers get locked out? It's a messy situation that's bound to get messier with the new and different avenues of content we can access now.

http://gizmodo.com/5665721/news-corp-bans-cablevision-customers-from-watching-hulu

[customerserviceguy]

1. Well, they can't screw with my 'hillbilly' antenna

and digital converter box. All I have to do is press the power button on the VCR, and I've got Fox coming in on the TV, in order to watch sports.

[Turbineguy]

2. I can't watch Fox?

How will I stay fucked up and stupid? It's not a free country if you can't stay fucked up and stupid.

[Vickers]

3. "How will I stay fucked up and stupid?"

*cleans keyboard*

[tsuki]

5. As I understand it, they did not block Wanda TV. nt

[ejpoeta]

4. i mustunderstood thinking cablevision was blocking hulu. but newscorp is?

does newcorp own hulu? there are other ways to watch your shows online. i guess people will just find those other places and if newscorp owns hulu they are screwing themselves. just sayin.

[onenote]

6. hulu is a joint venture of abc, nbc, fox, and providence equity

[myrna minx]

7. That's just creepy.

What's next? Blocking news sources they don't like?

[vi5]

8. Great LTTE in the Nj paper today...

Pointing out that News Corp hasn't blocked Fox News from airing, coincidentally 3 weeks before the election. Something to the effect of "are they worried that the republican onslaught everyone is predicting is in jeopardy and that if they're not on the air they won't be able to carry the home team across the finish line? It was a pretty good point.

[drm604]

9. This is the perfect issue to use in pushing for net neutrality.

This kind of thing could spell the end of the internet as we know it. No provider should be able to favor or ban any legal content.

This should resonate with people across the political spectrum.