Al Franklin: This Comcast merger will kill Netflix

[bigdarryl]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/01/sen-al-franken-no-joke-comcast-trying-to-whack-netflix.ars

[monmouth]

1. Franken...

[Teaser]

2. one good outcome then

.

[OwnedByFerrets]

3. Are you just being a drama queen or do you have a reasonable

statement to back up ridiculous proclamation.

[Teaser]

5. I am the king of drama, baby.

but I do have a reason.

Specifically Netflix refuses to unsubscribe me. Or rather, it unsubscribes me, but every month I get another debit from them that I have to fight to get put back. I have been trying to quit for many months now.

If they die, at least that problem will go away.

[Diamonique]

11. Take it up with your bank.

Your bank can put a stop on any further debits from Netflix. Show them your bank statement with the debit on it, and have them stop any future ones. It'll cost you a few bucks to initiate the stop, but you won't get anymore of those debits.

[OwnedByFerrets]

12. I love it. You would take away the happiness and satisfaction that

millions enjoy from Netflix for your own petty disagreement with them. Priceless.:rofl:

[Teaser]

15. Yeah, that's how I roll

I'll be laughing as the company goes down.

[RichGirl]

16. There is only one way to deal with this kind of thing....

You call your credit card company and tell them you lost your debit card. They will issue a new one and netflix won't have access to it.

[Caretha]

21. Try this

You are able to edit you account info. Go in and delete all you cc information. They will not be able to debit you without it.

[AngryAmish]

22. Sue them under consumer fraud laws

Any attorney will take the case- mandatory attorneys fees in most states. Plus, look for a class action where the money is.

[sakabatou]

8. I LIKE Netflix.

It has a lot of stuff I can't get from other stores.

[SharonAnn]

17. Netflix was a godsend during my husband's terminal illness. They had

all kinds of shows available and he could choose exactly what he was interested in (DVDs). There were all the PBS Mystery series, the West Wing series, and others. He was thrilled and he got to watch the shows he wanted and could do it when he felt strong enough and could quit when he was too tired.

Every day's mail was exciting. I'd bring in the mail and he'd perk up when he saw the red envelope and ask "What's in it?".

Seriously, I can never thank them or pay them enough for the joy they gave my husband during his last year.

Little things mean a lot when you're fighting for your life.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. What exactly do you have against Netflix?

:shrug:
I happen to enjoy having it. It's a virtually unlimited on-demand movie/tv service that is LIGHT YEARS above Comcast's craptacular on-demand offerings.

[dmr]

4. I just don't understand how the DOJ could sign off on

the Comcast-NBC merger. I just don't get it. I'm disgusted by it all.
:grr:

[femrap]

6. We're a Fascist

Nation now....the Corporations run the country. It's that simple. The political minions do as they are told....or else.

[KoKo]

13. I don't understand it either...What's going on? n/t

[boppers]

19. The DOJ signed off on AOL/Time-Warner

How's AOL doing these days?

Oh, yeah.

[Uzybone]

7. Liberals for Netflix!!!

geez...

[KoKo]

14. True...they've been low priced way for folks to give up Cable and given our family

countless hours of enjoyment in these dark times. I can't imagine them trying to mess with it.

[onenote]

9. and how exactly will Comcast do that?

According to Sen. Franken, he is "hearing that Comcast is already preparing to pull NBC Universal's programming from Netflix when it's next up for review." Well, I don't have a clue when that is, but if its any time within the next seven years, it would violate both the FCC imposed conditions on them merger and the settlement with the Department of Justice. For example, the FCC-imposed conditions include a requirement that Comcast/NBCU offer its own video programming to online video distributors such as Netflix on the same tterms and conditions that would be available to a cable or satellite distributor and to make programming available on economically comparable prices, terms and conditions to an online video distributor that has an agreement to distribute the programming of one or more of the major video programmers other than Comcast. It also requires Comcast to offer standalone Internet access service with sufficient bandwidth and at "reasonable" prices so that customers can access online video services without the need to purchase a cable subscription from Comcast.

Whether and to what extent Netflix succeeds will turn on a lot of things, but Comcast's refusing to give them programming is unlikely to be one of those reasons.

[boppers]

18. Franken doesn't know what he's talking about.

Sad, really, but he was a comedian, not a techie, before politics.

He needs to get somebody on his team who speaks TCP/IP fluently.

[pattycake007]

20. Netflix will put up a fight for sure.