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DOJ Blocks Satellite TV Merger
EyesWideOpen writes "The Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block a merger between EchoStar Communications and Hughes Electronics that would have created the nation's largest pay-television service, stating that 'This merger would give EchoStar control of the skies for the provision of video programming by satellite, leaving customers to suffer from the resulting reduction of competition'. The FCC had already voted unanimously to oppose the merger because it would create a monopoly that would have 'adverse' effects for consumers."
Surely a merger is good for consumers?
Say EchoStar carries 'Friends' and Hughes carries 'Who wants to be a millionaire'.
If they merge then I get both my favourite shows from 1 company; this is much easier for the TV viewer, they get more choice and it is probably cheaper too.
How dare the government regulate where I get my media! What are they socialists???
/Satire, or, at least something like it.
They don't care about my rights as a consumer to have ALL my services charged on one convenient bill, all my services installed and fixed by one courteous, prompt repairman!
My life is so convenient when I can get all this stuff from one, homogenous provider! Maybe the government would like to provide all these services, oh, wait a minute, maybe it's not so socialist afterall.
See Richard Gere's Ass Zoo
tcd004
Pay-per-view pr0n? LOL
If i had to pay for pr0n i'd be broke. Seriously, who the fuck pays for pr0n anymore with all the free sites? You dumb bastard.
-1 incoherent
Satellite hackers around the US and Canada are outraged at this move by the FCC. Rob Mishka, a long time connoisseur of free (read: stolen) satellite TV, was quoted as saying "We are just sick of having to deal with two different encryption keys every damn week. If they merged we would only have to deal with one!". Rob then spit out the tobacco he was chewing and went to work on the Trans-Am that has been raised on 8 bricks in his front yard since 1998.
Someone obviously forgot the hookers and blow.
They come BEFORE the merger, not after.
[o]_O
I don't pay for pr0n, either. I bought a copy of Playboy in 1982 and I've been happy with it ever since.
Mmmm, legwarmers.
Phew... Thank's for clearing that up.
When I initally read it, I was under the mistaken impression that they did the right thing for the right reasons. That goes against everything I've seen the government ever do, so I was so confused my mind coped by convincing me I'd traveled several decades back in time, when the government still cared about the people.
Thank you for clearing up any mistaken impressions that the government cares about the people, and reinforcing the (obviously correct) view that our government is up for sale to the highest bidder.
Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
However, this sudden affection from the Bush administration for strictly enforcing antitrust law is obvious horseshit.
Or maybe it is because the Clinton administration is not being bought by Turner to allow cable companies (namely Turner's) to grow into monopolies?
See. I can also pull reasons out of thin air.
Before I get marked down as flamebait, Ded Bob's political affiliation is none.