• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Big 4 networks sue Locast

C

crainbebo

The networks claim they are broadcasting without permission and breaking copyright law. Well, maybe work on all of those CARRIAGE DISPUTES first!! People are using Locast to get around the CBS and Nexstar disputes affecting millions of DIRECTV and Dish Network subs and hundreds of stations...
Locast is not offered in my market BTW.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/networ...ng-service-offering-free-tv-feeds-11564584062
 
Companies like CBS, Disney and Comcast are placing all their bets on their on demand apps like all access, Hulu and the NBC app for Comcast. These companies have to boost a profit on those venues is the reason behind the lawsuit and yes plus the contract disputes with AT&T and Dish over carriage. Locast is a scapegoat here.
 
I had hoped Locast would eventually come to the Memphis and Nashville areas but now it looks like the Big 4 have started to try to shut it down. :(
 
well, the Big 4 networks don't care about OTA signals being free, they want to make their money by holding pay TV providers hostage with expensive and outrageous demand for retransmission and ad revenue. they don't make money on this and i'm surprised they haven't started the trend of phasing OTA out in favor of getting more money for streaming their content and what's left of paid TV providers in the dying cable/satellite industry>

while yes, Locast did open pandora's box in the form of stealing live OTA signals and committing "copyright infringement" and possibly violating the "DCMA" laws. but at the same time, people are asking, why are people paying for something you get for free as these OTA signals are free, and in the case of Locast, they are giving those with good internet and poor TV signal reception or no antenna at all and can't afford to get one or afford to pay for both internet and paid TV at the same time. the networks are mad cause they are trying to find a way to stream and make money out of it, CBS and Disney are they only ones streaming that would put their stream of local channels behind a paywall with CBS's CBS All Access and Disney has Hulu with Live TV for live ABC streaming. i'm sure when NBCUniversal/Comcast launches the new yet to be titled NBCUniversal streaming service they will put stream of NBC stations behind a paywall, and i wouldn't be surprise if Fox gets in on this by launching a new paywall tier version of their "Fox Now" app with the live stream of Fox bundled with their Fox Sports channels, Fox News Channel, and Fox Business Channel.
 
Will_H_69_9 said:
well, the Big 4 networks don't care about OTA signals being free, they want to make their money by holding pay TV providers hostage with expensive and outrageous demand for retransmission and ad revenue. they don't make money on this and i'm surprised they haven't started the trend of phasing OTA out in favor of getting more money for streaming their content and what's left of paid TV providers in the dying cable/satellite industry>

while yes, Locast did open pandora's box in the form of stealing live OTA signals and committing "copyright infringement" and possibly violating the "DCMA" laws. but at the same time, people are asking, why are people paying for something you get for free as these OTA signals are free, and in the case of Locast, they are giving those with good internet and poor TV signal reception or no antenna at all and can't afford to get one or afford to pay for both internet and paid TV at the same time. the networks are mad cause they are trying to find a way to stream and make money out of it, CBS and Disney are they only ones streaming that would put their stream of local channels behind a paywall with CBS's CBS All Access and Disney has Hulu with Live TV for live ABC streaming. i'm sure when NBCUniversal/Comcast launches the new yet to be titled NBCUniversal streaming service they will put stream of NBC stations behind a paywall, and i wouldn't be surprise if Fox gets in on this by launching a new paywall tier version of their "Fox Now" app with the live stream of Fox bundled with their Fox Sports channels, Fox News Channel, and Fox Business Channel.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention the other one Disney is running two major streaming outlets Disney+ (Launch in November) and Hulu as a result of the 20th Century Fox Deal. Also consider another one AT&T is in dispute with Nexstar and CBS to for similar reasons to protect their HBO Max Brand that they were going to run with though.
 
And as mentioned in the article, AT&T is helping to fund Locast, and I believe U-Verse customs have a dedicated App channel for the service.
 
https://www.fiercevideo.com/video/abc-cbs-fox-and-nbc-sue-free-broadcast-streaming-service-locast

The major networks have filed a lawsuit against free broadcast streaming service Locast, alleging the service infringes upon exclusive rights under the Copyright Act.

The lawsuit, spotted by the Wall Street Journal, was filed with the United States District Court in southern New York by ABC/Disney, Comcast/NBCUniversal, 20th Century Fox and CBS against David Goodfriend and his non-profit Sports Fans Coalition NY, the group that operates Locast. The broadcasters are asking the court to prohibit Locast from operating its service, and to award damages connected to Locast’s operations.

Locast is a free service that streams full-power broadcast channels in local markets to anyone with an internet connection located within the relevant Nielsen Designated Market Area (DMA). Locast’s operational costs do not include licensing fees paid to broadcasters. The organization relies on a statute within the Copyright Act that allows a non-profit organization to retransmit local broadcast signals.

The lawsuit contends that Locast is not merely boosting broadcast signals for those who can’t receive them. It accuses Locast of operating with its own commercial benefit in mind as well as the commercial benefit of large pay TV operators including DirecTV and Dish Network.
Click to expand...


Yes Dish and AT&T got dragged in the Locast lawsuit
 
The networks should just call themselves cable channels and pull all the affiliate licenses. That seems to be their end game here.
 
https://www.fiercevideo.com/broadcasting/fox-ceo-accuses-locast-theft-during-earnings-call

Lachlan Murdoch the leader of Fox Corporation comes forward on why he accuses Locast of streaming theft.

During Wednesday’s earnings call, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch hurled an accusation of “theft” at Locast, a free broadcast television streaming service that’s being sued by all four major U.S. broadcasters.

Murdoch called Locast a “rogue streaming service” and accused it of violating the copyright laws for commercial gain, “nothing more.”

“Locast’s claim to be a non-profit that is not operating for any direct or indirect commercial advantage is absurd,” said Murdoch, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. “It operates for the clear commercial benefit of the corporations that support it.”

He added that Fox – along with ABC, CBS and NBC – is confident in the merit of the claim against Locast.
Click to expand...
 
The founder of Locast was a higher up that use to work for Dish and is abusing the nonprofit status with there company locast will be in the graveyard like what happened a few years ago with Aestro whatever they called them.
 
I'm not sure how this lawsuit will go but I believe that we need some sort of service like Locast that can provide OTA channels to people who don't have antennas or are too far away to get stations since the digital conversion and can't get or don't want cable or satellite TV. Cable started carrying local stations as their main service but they have become more interested in satellite networks and in some cases only carry local stations because they're required to by law. I personally hope Locast wins in this lawsuit.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom