The Importance of Being Real

A quote in an  article in today's Newsday really struck a nerve with me. As I've written in this blog before, we as a society have really mixed up our priorities. And in an article about the continuing stalemate between Fox and Cablevision, (No World Series on Cablevision as Fox dispute continues) NY Jets Owner Woody Johnson was quoted as saying, "Today I spoke with Cablevision and News Corp. about the importance of broadcasting our game this Sunday..."

I would have loved to hear that conversation to know why it is so important to broadcast a game. I'm sure it is important to Mr. Johnson who may lose ad revenue and endorsements for his team. But, I fail to see how it is important to the average person whether this game is televised or not. Airing this game will not cure cancer, will not end global warming nor will it bring about world peace. Beyond those scenarios, I don't see a football game or any sports game that important.

I know people like their television. They enjoy their shows, heck I'm a Star Trek Fan who has fought and lost the battle to keep my show on the air. I wrote letters, posted messages in discussion boards and even contributed money in a futile attempt to keep the show alive. In the end, the networks did what they wanted anyway. My life continued. Cancelling the series didn't stop me from enjoying my favorite show. In fact the domain this blog is hosted on is a salute to a Star Trek episode. Eventually, the network realized that they needed the fans more than the fans needed them and a new blockbuster movie was released (with a sequel due out in 2012).

My point is, that as fans of TV whether it be Star Trek, Baseball, Football, the Simpsons or even House, I urge you to be patient and let the network stew for a while. They will come around and the shows will be returned for a lot less money. Is Cablevision and Dish looking out for their bottom lines? Absolutely. But Fox is trying to gouge them and I don't blame cable for fighting back. The savings will trickle down, not only for Cablevision and Dish but for all the other cable, satellite and telephone companies out there. Just ask Time Warner, their contract has a "favored nation" clause. So, if Cablevision wins, Fox has to refund them the difference. That's the real reason Fox is fighting so hard. Greed, it's a terrible thing but, a great motivator.

Yellow Light, Red Light, 1, 2, 3

The Nassau County Legislators are patting themselves on their backs for installing red light cameras all around the county. They are so excited at the prospect of bringing in an expected $13 Million in Revenue in 2010 (http://newsday.com/1.2212978) that now they are asking Albany for another $25 Million to put up more cameras (Syosset Jericho Tribune Oct 1, 2010). You'd think they would wait until the program paid for itself. This is another example of government spending gone crazy.

But to the point, is Red Light Cameras for public safety or for government revenue? I think the example above makes it obvious that our legislators love for red-light photography is only equal by their love of green backs. Red light cameras do not make the road any safer. In fact, I would contend that it makes the roads more dangerous as motorists have to worry about the car in front of them slamming on the brakes at the site of yellow. The yellow light was created to avoid such a hazard. But, the problem of the yellow light as well as road rage in general has come about because of two simple underlying issues on the road. If these issues were addressed, I think the need for the cameras (as far as safety is concerned) would be diminished as the roads would be much safer. What are these underlying issues?

1. Traffic lights that are not in sync with each other, causing drivers to stop at every other block.
2. Inconsistent timing of the Yellow light.

Let's first look at the synchronization of traffic lights. I'm not saying that every light should turn green as I approach it (although it would be nice). I do think that once a driver hits a red light they should have a reasonable expectation to have the traffic light go their way for a good stretch within the speed limit, before coming to another red light. But, that is not the case on most roads in the area. In fact, on many roads it would seem that the timing of the lights are set to actually frustrate a driver. Thus, generating road rage, and thus making a driver more likely to want to blow through that yellow light. I don't think any driver minds hitting a red light or two, but when every light seems against you... it could make even the mildest mannered person scream.

The second is the inconsistent timing of the yellow lights. At some corners the yellow may stay on two or three seconds while at others the yellow light barely has a chance to appear before the red light comes on. I understand that different intersections require different timings. I know that I have gotten into the habit of watching the walk signs for a signal of when a traffic light is about to change, but not every intersection has a pedestrian crossing. With modern technology I think the yellow light should be retooled. Perhaps embedding a countdown so a motorist knows whether they should slam on the brakes. Although, if they have the countdown to see as they approach the intersection, it would give them fair warning. If an embedded countdown is not practical, why not set the yellow light to blink as it changes, blinking faster as the time ticks down. I actually remember seeing this on old traffic lights that had only red and green. The green light would begin to blink just before turning to red as a warning to drivers.

Maybe it's time to start being fair to motorists again, instead of seeing them as a revenue stream. The government taxes us on the sale, registration and inspection of our cars. They put toll booths up to collect money as we leave the island, they tax our fuel, and they lay traps out to catch us if we miss a light. And most of the money collected for all this goes to the MTA. How about doing something nice for the drivers for a change?

Alternate TV Viewing Options

As the Cablevision/Fox talks reach their eleventh day, I want to take a few moments to be amazed at how these two companies have lost focus on the consumer. I still put my allegiance behind Cablevision as I believe that Fox deliberately scheduled their blackout to coincide with the Sports programming. I hope that Cablevision continues to stick to their guns because in a few more days, Fox will reach their deadline with Dish Network and then 14.3 million more homes will be effected by this struggle. That will increase the pressure on Fox to settle as surely their ratings will be getting hammered even more.

Yes, I know as a non-sports fan it's easy for me to take the high road here as many fans are upset at not being able to see their teams play. Heck, I'm upset that Fox preempts The Simpsons and Family Guy for Sports. I mean in this world of ever diversified cable channels, why do broadcast channels think they need to show sports on their regular channels is beyond me. But, back to my point, even as this fight threatens my ability to watch my favorite Fox shows, I still stand with Cablevision because I think that Fox's demands are way out of line for a commercial broadcast network. Besides, there are other ways to view your favorite programming, and are legal.

There is Hulu.com an online service which provides online access to your favorite shows. Although, you mayhave to wait a day or two for them to become available. But, just like a DVR, once it is available you can view the shows at your time. There are two point about this though. First, Fox had originally demanded that Hulu block their content from Cablevision customers. Although they quickly retracted that demand, as talks continue to stall who knows if they may revisit that scare tactic. It also makes me wonder how they would punish Dish customers once they join the fight. The other thing about Hulu is that you are forced to sit through the commercials. Although, the commercial breaks only last between 30-90 seconds, they cannot be fast forwarded through and they are often repetitively annoying. This option is free although they do offer premium content for a fee.

Another option is to get a Slingbox (http://www.slingmedia.com) and have a friend with a different service allow you to plug in. I have used a Slingbox for a couple of years now to watch TV while I travel. It allows me to connect in with hometown news and programs. It also allows me to watch and control my Tivo while on the road. Optional software will also allow you to watch your Slingbox on your Smartphone, great for long waits at the airport or the doctor's office.

While I hope that Fox comes to terms with Cablevision and Dish Network. I really hope that Cablevision and Dish prevail. Because there is more to this struggle than just a contract for retransmission of content. There is a precedent to be set. If Cable and Dish win, that means that Networks like Fox, NBC, ABC, Scripps, YES, etc. have reached their limit on milking money from the public. Yes, they are entitled to be paid for their content but, they need to make their demands realistic. The public can live without the programming. They may not be as happy, but life will go on.

Cable TV Disputes - Here We Go Again!

For those outside of the Cablevision area, you may not know but one of the local affiliates are at it again, attempting to extort millions of dollars from our local Cable company at the expense of the local viewers (see NY Times article). This time it is Fox Broadcasting who has taken their shows off the air as a bargaining chip, in an attempt to make Cablevision Subscribers pressure the company to give in to their demands for more money.

We have been down this road before and, as in the past, I side with Cablevision in this dispute. I agree that they shouldn't be forced to pay an exorbitant amount of money to rebroadcast the signal and that Fox is playing unfair by holding their programming hostage. Unfortunately, I feel that if the past is any guide, Cablevision will eventually give in and the real losers with once again be the subscribers who will have to pay more each month.

The past disputes included the Yankees forcing Cablevision to carry their YES network as a basic cable channel and forcing all customers to pay each month for the privilege, even if they are not a fan. Then there was the Scripps Network that held  HGTV and the Food Network Hostage and even more recently our local ABC affiliate with the same tactics. Each one ended with Cablevision giving in.

I hope this time they hold their ground. I hope they make Fox blink first as they see their ratings drop by the three million homes they blacked out. And I hope advertisers put pressure on Fox to settle the dispute. It may be hard for fans of Fox TV shows to hold on. Although, in today's modern world there are alternative ways to view your favorite shows. But, if cable companies continue to give in to all the increasing demands that programming companies make, cable television will become unaffordable. Maybe, that's what the local affiliates want, to put rabbit ears back on every TV so we will be reduced to a choice of the dozen or so channels within range of our homes.

But, that's not going to happen. What I would like to see happen as a result of these disputes, is that the Cable Industry begin to adopt a-la-carte programming. This would allow each channel to charge what they feel is right and for each viewer to decide where to spend there entertainment dollars. It would force the Programming Networks to provide quality entertainment and to really compete. So, if a family wishes to spend $5 a month on Fox, let it be their choice. If someone is a Met fan, they don't have to support the Yankees, and if their a fan of Boston, they are not forced to support either NY team. That is a fair and equitable. This would create a true competitive marketplace and would improve the quality of programming.

So, I hope that Cablevision stands their ground in this dispute and emerges victorious. It would make precedent and stop the programming networks from holding viewers hostage. But, if Cablevision really wants to stop these disputes, introduce a-la-carte programming and let viewers truly control their destiny. Because, if the cable industry does not change, then viewers will begin to cut the cord and watch more programs online instead of on cable. But. more about that in our next installment.

Campaign Contributions and the Media

I consider myself a big believer in freedom of the press and free speech. But, I have to wonder whether it is reasonable to expect that the media to be unbiased in the election process. I was outraged the other day when I saw that Newsday's parent company, Cablevision donated $40,000 to Andrew Cuomo's NY Gubernatorial Campaign.

To their credit, Newsday did disclose it in an article in their paper. However, that is only a small portion of their contribution. Again my source: http://politics.newsday.com is a Newsday site however it shows that Cablevision's overall contribution is $145,000 (not including an additional $11,000 from Dolan family members). The same searches show no results for similar donations to Carl Paladino's campaign.

 I find this very concerning afterall, with such a heavy bet on one candidate it would be hard for them to keep their coverage unbiased. Admittedly, Paladino appears to be shooting himself in the foot these past few days but when I read these reports in the newspaper or see it on News12, I have to question whether or not the comments are being sensationalized or being taken out of context.

I do feel that Newsday's coverage of the campaign has been slanted from the beginning. Whenever Cuomo makes a comment it is highlighted in the headlines and whenever Paladino does something it makes the inside pages, except for his missteps. I kind of understand Paladino's frustration last week when he lashed out at the reporter. Maybe Cuomo is perfect and has made no mistakes, I doubt it every human makes an error. But, the size of the contributions makes me question and creates a big doubt that Cuomo would be a good choice. I really wish that there were more than two major parties in the system. I hate having to vote based on the evil of two lessers.

Author's note: I'm not sure if the Newsday link above is available to non-subscribers. Just in case, here is a link to an image of the Cablevision Contributions to Andrew Cuomo's campaign as of October 13, 2010.
Click Here to View.

Fighting the MTA Taxpayer Abuse

I have always gotten a chuckle whenever I hear the MTA use their slogan, "Going your way." I laugh at the audacity of this agency to actually try and make us believe that they are doing anything any way but their own. Take a look at the recent increase in the fares. They are proposing the largest hikes in a long time during a time that the economy is bleak. Yeah, I know some eggheads in Washington pronounced the recession is over. Try telling that to the people still on the unemployment line. But, I digress...

Today in Glen Cove Bill Schoolman came to address the Chamber of Commerce and enlightened the group of local businesses about the abuse that the MTA has inflicted on this region during the Agency's 40 year history. The latest fare hikes and MTA Payroll Tax are only the latest in the MTA's crimes. I was happy to see that there are others out there that are getting outraged over this issue and I hope that come November it is reflected in the voting results.

Bill had enough and is fighting back with a lawsuit against the MTA Payroll Tax. His investigation found that this burdensome tax contains five violations of the NYS Constitution and one violation of the Public Authorities Law. He spells it out on his website:

http://www.mtataxpayerabuse.com/ 

He represents a growing group of concerned citizens who have had enough and are ready to fight back. He demonstrates the total disregard to fiscal responsibility that the MTA displays. For example:

• MTA Salaries represent 58% of the total MTA Expenses
• MTA Salaries and related benefits are greater the MTA Revenues ($8.0 Billion vs $6.1 Billion)
• MTA has $3.7 Billion in Investments that could be liquefied to avoid service cuts
• MTA has spent of $600 million in overtime, approved without question, 77% undocumented)
• $20 Million spent on an employee lounge at Grand Central Station in October 2009

Please, I urge you to visit his site, sign up for the newsletter and tell your friends and neighbors. It's time to get angry and to take a stand. The MTA has not stopped increasing their greed in 40 years. It's not going to stop until we stand up and say enough is enough!

Join the fight! Remember when you vote on election day who voted for the MTA Tax and let the hear you with your vote!