New York – Some producers of cable TV network programming have
sent legal warnings to Comcast (NASD: CMCSA), noting that their existing agreements do not
authorize the company to distribute their programming live to iPads and other
tablets, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s very simple.
Distribution via any sort of third-party app is not covered in our carriage
deals with Comcast,” one affiliate chief told THR. “We’re not going
to sit on our hands if they choose to ignore that fact.”
So far, HBO (NYSE: TWX),
Showtime, Starz and Cinemax have signed over rights to Comcast for streaming
video.
Satellite TV provider DISH Network (NASD: DISH) has also announced plans to stream
live TV to tablets within the home, a feature that programmers have also said
is not expressly covered by existing carriage agreements, THR reports.
Discovery Communications (NASD: DISCA) even filed an FCC complaint last month, noting it had
not given DISH authorization to distribute its programming in the new format.
Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) also plan to offer some video streaming, but
so far are thought to be restricting content to an in-home network.
Related Links:
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(Hollywood Reporter)
