Chairman of NBC no fan of auto hop

[CK SatGuy]

From LA Times:
NBC Broadcasting Chairman Ted Harbert is not a fan of satellite broadcaster Dish Network's new commercial-skipping device, the Auto Hop, which automatically deletes commercials from recorded prime-time programming from the four big broadcast networks.
"I think this is an attack on our eco-system," Harbert said on NBC's conference call announcing the network's 2012-13 prime-time schedule. "I'm not for it."
Harbert declined to comment on whether NBC or its parent Comcast Corp. was preparing any sort of legal response to Dish Network Corp.'s new technology. He did say he would have an elaborate message to advertisers and Dish on Monday at Radio City Music Hall when the network presents its fall schedule to advertisers. Introduced last Thursday, Dish's Auto Hop is a component of Dish's PrimeTime Anytime feature on its digital video recorder service, which is called the Hopper. The Anytime feature automatically records the prime-time programming of CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox and stores the content on a rolling basis for eight days.
Viewers who use the PrimeTime feature can use the Auto Hop to literally black out commercials, provided the programs are watched the day after their original airing. The way it works is that the customer pushes a button and then when a commercial break appears, the screen goes black for a few seconds and then the program returns. The Auto Hop can't be used on live programming such as a sporting event that has been recorded.
Dish, which has more than 14 million subscribers, is already starting to heavily market the device, even tweeting about it.
The broadcast networks have so far stayed mum about the Auto Hop but in the past have expressed great concern about any device that allows consumers to bypass commercials. While digital video recorders allow a viewer to fast-forward through spots, the commercial images still play on the screen, albeit faster. The Auto Hop gets rid of the advertisements altogether.
The Auto Hop is being offered by Dish for use only on broadcast programming, not for shows on cable networks, even though that is technically possible. A Dish spokesman said the reason it is limited to broadcast shows is because those are the shows most frequently recorded by consumers. Whether that decision to offer the device only for a handful of channels provides fodder for a lawsuit will no doubt be revealed in the weeks ahead.
Several years ago, the networks sued over a similar device called Replay TV and won on copyright infringement grounds.

NBC Broadcasting head no fan of Dish's commercial-skipping device - latimes.com

 

[CK SatGuy]

Not surprised at all here, but I'm curious as to what he'll say on Monday.

 

[HIFI]

and so it begins.......

 

[mike123abc]

It will be hard to argue with when they put their own shows on Hulu the next day without the original commercials.

 

[dfergie]

The Chairman should be happy DISH doesn't reverse the technology for NBC and hop over the programming keeping the commercials...

 

[Tampa8]

The Chairman should be happy DISH doesn't reverse the technology for NBC and hop over the programming keeping the commercials...

LMFAO........... :

 

[HanoverPretzel]

I think there probably will be some lawsuits over this, or at the very least more disputes when carriage agreements come up for negotiation. I could see some local channels demanding that Dish not allow this feature to be used on their channels as a condition of carriage.

Personally, though, I have no dog in this fight. Dish probably wouldn't give me a hopper at a price I could afford even if hell froze over and the pigs were flying over the tundra that was once fire screaming "Give HanoverPretzel a free hopper!". Rich people problems.

Plus, even if I could afford it, I'm not sure I want to get involved in another 2-year contract with Dish- I am very afraid of them getting into a dispute with one of my "must have" channels and being stuck without my favorite sporting events but still having to pay full price. On a side note, I'd be more likely to consider getting involved in a new contract if Dish would simply list when their contracts with all the channels they carry expire on a web page somewhere- then I could check to make sure the channels I want are going to be there for the life of the agreement or close to it. It seems kind of unfair having to sign an agreement without knowing what the contract status is of the channels you pay for tv in the first place are. Like someone could get Dish to watch the Orioles and then have Dish drop MASN (The channel that carries most Orioles games) the next day.

But if I lose channels because of disputes over a piece of technology I don't even have access to, I'll be ticked. I mean, the idea of getting rid of commercials seems kind of cool, and channels can no longer really claim to be commercial supported if they are charging providers to carry them, but you can't expect people who aren't being given the technology to skip the commercials to back Dish's fight on behalf of the chosen few, you know? If we all had hoppers, we'd have some "buy in", and maybe be more apt to support Dish in fighting for the hoppers to be ad-free. But I'm going to have commercials regardless of how their legal battles and disputes go, so anything that costs me channels over this for any amount of time is going to aggravate me.

 

[Jim5506]

Truly this "feature" sounds like a barganing chip to me.

Network affiliates are putting the screws to providers for carriage fees, so Dish comes up with a counterploy that we will just enable our receivers to skip all you commercials on replay.

I say the negotiation will go something like, "Well... we might consider dropping this feature IF you guys back off on the exponential retransmission fee demands." Perhaps they will demand a long term "promise" to only ask for increased fees at a certain rate or similar.

So the local stations have a choice, stop gouging us for retransmission fees or we make your clout with advertisers worthless.

Just a thought.

 

[Tampa8]

Truly this "feature" sounds like a barganing chip to me.

Network affiliates are putting the screws to providers for carriage fees, so Dish comes up with a counterploy that we will just enable our receivers to skip all you commercials on replay.

Not now that the cat's out of the bag. I can't see it being dropped unless a court orders it.

I say the negotiation will go something like, "Well... we might consider dropping this feature IF you guys back off on the exponential retransmission fee demands." Perhaps they will demand a long term "promise" to only ask for increased fees at a certain rate or similar.

So the local stations have a choice, stop gouging us for retransmission fees or we make your clout with advertisers worthless.

Just a thought.

Not now that the cat's out of the bag. I don't see it being dropped unless court ordered.

 

[KAB]

Who or What is NBC??? Oh right, the name of some 60's peacock.

 

[brad1138]

I have had DVR for nearly 10 years and love it, but a small part of me feels like I am cheating when I skip commercials. We get so use to hating commercials, that we forget they are paying for what we are watching. You can't "have your cake and eat it too".

I haven't been able to find figures on "cable tv" channels as to what percentage of their revenue comes from commercials versus what they charge the provider, but for the major networks, it must be 90-100%.

It will definitely be interesting to see how this unfolds, but unless we want a huge increase in our monthly bill (for locals anyway) I don't see how this can work.

 

[dfergie]

I have had DVR for nearly 10 years and love it, but a small part of me feels like I am cheating when I skip commercials. We get so use to hating commercials, that we forget they are paying for what we are watching. You can't "have your cake and eat it too".

I haven't been able to find figures on "cable tv" channels as to what percentage of their revenue comes from commercials versus what they charge the provider, but for the major networks, it must be 90-100%.

It will definitely be interesting to see how this unfolds, but unless we want a huge increase in our monthly bill (for locals anyway) I don't see how this can work.

Umm that's just it, we are paying for our cake with satellite already...

 

[gpollock87]

as the world turns.......

 

[mike123abc]

So the local stations have a choice, stop gouging us for retransmission fees or we make your clout with advertisers worthless.

Just a thought.

The networks are getting into the act too. Some want a % of the local retrans, others want a fixed $$. The fights are only going to get worse.

 

[cave1376]

If the CEO of NBC doesn't like the auto hop feature, he should say so in a commercial during the hours of 7pm to 11pm and on the local NBC stations.

 

[CK SatGuy]

as the world turns.......

Wrong soap opera.

 

[GaryPen]

It will be hard to argue with when they put their own shows on Hulu the next day without the original commercials.

They use different commercials, for which they are most likely paid.

 

[3HaloODST]

"Chairman of NBC no fan of auto hop"





*GASP* I'm shocked!!! That only took what? 4 days?

 

[GaryPen]

The Chairman should be happy DISH doesn't reverse the technology for NBC and hop over the programming keeping the commercials...

I'm sure he wouldn't mind that at all. In fact, he'd probably prefer not having to pay to produce programming.

 

[gpollock87]

Wrong soap opera.

as the dish turns.....* lol