Plus: Aereo Launch Imperiled?
1. Aereo Stuck At Gate?
“A new lawsuit could keep Aereo out of the third biggest media market, and also complicates a confusing situation that makes it legal for Americans in some part of the country – but not others – to watch over-the-air TV via third party streaming services,” Gigaom reports.
“The lawsuit was filed [last month] by FilmOn, an Aereo-like service owned by eccentric billionaire Alki David. FilmOn’s complaint claims that a PBS station sent a letter accusing it of stealing its signal; FilmOn claims its service is a form of legal private copying, and asks the Chicago court to declare that it’s not violating the Copyright Act.
“The Chicago complaint amounts to a fresh courtroom stunt by David, a notorious provocateur who has repeatedly thumbed his nose at the court system. [A]ccording to reports, a judge in Washington held FilmOn in contempt of court and called David a ‘man who is missing couth.’ David, who was not in court, told the Wrap that his lawyers informed him that the judge was ‘p***ed.'”
Why is this relevant to Aereo in Chicago?
“[I]f Aereo goes ahead with the launch, the broadcasters would likely sue to add Aereo to the FilmOn case, forcing Aereo to work with David and his loosey-goosey legal team. As a result, Aereo may avoid the Windy City altogether.”
2. The “T” Word.
@John_Kass Covering Huntley Turkey Testicle Festival was my crowning achievement @cltv, news director wouldn’t let me say “T” word on TV!
— Ben Bradley (@BenBradleyABC7) November 26, 2013
@CiscoCotto News director never said people I interviewed couldn’t say it. @John_Kass #tasteslikechicken
— Ben Bradley (@BenBradleyABC7) November 26, 2013
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3. Is Your TV Spying On You?
“An IT consultant called Jason Huntley, who lives in a village near Hull, uncovered evidence that a flat-screen telly, which had been sitting in his living room since the summer, was secretly invading his family’s privacy,” IOL reports.
“He began investigating the LG device after noticing that its home screen appeared to be showing him ‘targeted’ adverts – for cars, and Knorr stock cubes – based on programs he’d just been watching.
“Huntley decided to monitor information that the so-called smart TV – which connects to the Internet – was sending and receiving. He did this by using his laptop effectively as a bridge between his television and the internet receiver, so the laptop was able to show all the data being sucked out of his telly.
“He soon discovered that details of not just every show he watched but every button he pressed on his remote control were being sent back to LG’s corporate headquarters in South Korea.”
Hey, even Comcast in Chicago can turn your TV on and off and change channels from its headquarters, as some of us know. (They’re probably laughing at you as they watch you wait for a service call to show up.)
4. Or, They Could Just Spy On You.
“Comcast Corp, the largest U.S. cable operator, is testing new advertising technology that inserts up-to-date commercials into past episodes of TV shows that are available on demand, a development that could help television networks generate additional revenue,” Reuters reports.
5. Durbin’s Capitol Hill Row House Inspires Garry Trudeau Amazon Series.
Frankly, we’d rather have Doonesbury back.
6. Former NBC Chicago Anchor Zoraida Sambolin On Her Breast Cancer Battle.
Inspired by Angelina Jolie.
7. Ex-Chicago TV Anchor Takes A Loss.
Just another in an occasional series of reminders of how much they make.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on December 3, 2013