Saturday, February 27, 2010

Kohl Goes After NBC’s Coverage of the Olympics

Nobody’s senator looking out for you. 

WASHINGTON – A Democratic senator criticized NBC on Friday for its handling of online access to the Vancouver Olympics, calling it unfair and restrictive.

Sen. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel, wrote NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker to complain about an NBC policy that he said appears to restrict some online access to people who subscribe to a pay TV service or have a provider that is partnered with NBC. Kohl said the policy unfairly prevents others from seeing Olympic events.

NBC responded that it is broadcasting nearly 12 hours a day of programming that anyone with a TV can see, even if they don’t have cable. The network also is showing highlights and medal-winning performances online for free, although other events such as full-length hockey games can’t be seen free online.

Kohl said he doesn’t understand why NBC doesn’t offer viewers the opportunity to pay directly for online access to all Olympic coverage.

(12) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1319 hrs
Politics + Politics - General + Politics - Wisconsin + Technology

  1. I worry about agreeing with Kohl at all, but NBC has stuck up the place with their Olympic coverage.  Of course he and I have different complaints.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 27, 2010 at 1409 hrs


  2. “Herb Kohl”?  Who’s Herb Kohl?  Never heard of him.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 27, 2010 at 1504 hrs


  3. Why does the owner of Kohl’s care about Olympic coverage?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 27, 2010 at 1732 hrs


  4. Somebody should be fired for waking Herb from his long slumber. In the midst of economic meltdown, health care shenanigans, and the incredible arrogance of power, Herb weighs in on…..Olympic TV coverage. Seriously, when does Wisconsin get a functioning senator again?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 28, 2010 at 0931 hrs


  5. I’ve always hated the unfair and restrictive way that Herb hands out milk at the State Fair…. unfairly preventing people who don’t have a quarter from getting a glass.

    Cmon Herb… The nation is in a real jam here. Unemployment, runaway deficits, our Health Care security under attack. THIS is what you think Wisconsinites want you to do for them…. get them better Olympic coverage? I liked you better when you were invisible.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 28, 2010 at 1009 hrs


  6. Dear short-sighted readers:

    This is about media concentration and the concerns/consequences of having a major cable subscription company own a major television network. This isn’t about the Olympics coverage per se.

    But of course you all realized that, right?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 28, 2010 at 1806 hrs


  7. Someone must have watered the potted plant.

    Posted by Kate on February 28, 2010 at 2100 hrs


  8. Yeah george, hurray. Herb is working hard to make sure that there is fair television viewing for all the jobless people out there.  Atta boy Herbie! Me…. well I’d pen some pork free job creation legislation, maybe a tax cut and a program cut or two to pay for it. Something real too, not the goofy jobs bill they passed so that they could tack on 20 billion for transportation. Well, I guess it’s too much to expect for Herb to actually do anything after all this time.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 28, 2010 at 2242 hrs


  9. You could get Olympic coverage streamed in several ways, you didn’t have to depend on NBC.  Of course that would take some effort to figure it out, far better to have popularity contest winners bitch and whine about it.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 01, 2010 at 1018 hrs


  10. Herb is working hard to make sure that there is fair television viewing for all the jobless people out there.

    I wouldn’t expect you to understand this properly.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 01, 2010 at 1257 hrs


  11. Methinks the Dairy Queen has more important things to ponder than the Olymic coverage.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 01, 2010 at 1553 hrs


  12. Kohl said he doesn’t understand why NBC doesn’t offer viewers the opportunity to pay directly for online access to all Olympic coverage.

    Because they would have been showered with bad PR for charging extra to watch events.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 01, 2010 at 1750 hrs


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