I want to tell you a story about net neutrality, and we haven't talked a lot about net neutrality on the show, but it's incredibly important, especially to a show like this one, Louis, because one of... there's many aspects to net neutrality, but an important one is the idea of are all websites and all video channels created the same or not? With the NBC purchase of... or rather, the Comcast purchase of NBC, it is an increasingly significant concern, well, what if Comcast decides that when it's NBC news time, all other news channels won't look as good, or if you're on the internet, that it's going to be slower access to www.ABCNews.com, or to www.DavidPakman.com, instead of NBC? This is a big deal.
And we recently had a... the FCC voted and passed some restrictions which are, if we have to say, even though the loopholes abound all over the place, if we have to say, it is a decision that is favorable not to the large internet and cable providers like Comcast, Time Warner, Qwest, so on and so forth. If anything, it is more favorable to those who believe that all bandwidth is created equal, for lack of a better term.
So now we have a GOP-organized hearing for the FCC chiefs, OK? So the idea is the FCC chiefs who said this is a law that we need, this is a law that we want, are going to be testifying. So let's look at this, OK? The FCC votes to impose some basic restrictions on... meant to prevent this unfair advantage to be created by providers like Comcast. And... even though, believe me, there are plenty of loopholes there. And then, Congressman Fred Upton, a Republican from Michigan, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, calls the commissioners of the FCC in to answer questions. Do we really need this? Do we really need these protections? Are you with me so far, Louis?
Louis: I'm with you.
David: So the House Republicans have been staunchly opposed to FCC net neutrality rules from the start, OK, passed by a 3-2 vote in December. Representative Fred Upton, he's not sure if we need these rules. Now, who funds Fred Upton? And I'm going to tell you, because it's what I'm going to do, but you already know the answer and Louis already knows the answer and I know the answer before I even look. Who is funding Representative Fred Upton, Republican from Michigan, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee? Well, Verizon is a top funder of Fred Upton. AT&T is a top funder. Comcast is funding Fred Upton. Time Warner is funding Fred Upton. Surprised, Louis?
Louis: Not at all.
David: The guy who's not sure whether we really need these laws that will put restrictions on Comcast and AT&T and Verizon is receiving money from Comcast and AT&T and Verizon. And not only that, he is also receiving money from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. What do they do, Louis? What on Earth is that organization there for? Well, its primary mission is to provide its members with a national presence by creating a unified voice on issues affecting cable and telecommunications industry. Well, who are its members? Who funds the National Cable and Telecommunications Association? Verizon and AT&T and Comcast.
You see where we're going, ladies and gentlemen, with this? The system has been completely corrupted and bought. It is a foregone conclusion already, Fred Upton is concerned about the FCC ruling that might affect Comcast and AT&T, and Fred Upton is funded by Comcast and AT&T. And you know, it's a good thing that the National Cable and Telecommunications Association exists because Louis, Comcast by itself absolutely has no power, it's too small.
Louis: Too small?
David: It can't do anything by itself. All the cable providers and high-speed internet providers, they need to get together and have someone lobbying on their behalf as an entity, because they just can't do-- they have no power by themselves.
Louis: So what do you predict will happen?
David: Well, I think we know what Republicans are going to try to do, they are going to try to increase, or, rather, decrease restrictions on bandwidth prioritization and video quality prioritization for these big companies. It's written on the wall.
Now, who is the chairman, by the way, of the NCTA, this lobbying organization that receives money from all of the different cable providers? As of May 2010, the chairman of the board of directors was Pat Esser. What else does Pat Esser do? President of Cox Communications. So if you are going to say well, maybe that group isn't... that organization isn't completely bought, no, you're wrong, they are completely bought. And also, the incoming chairs of the Subcommittees on Communications and Technology, Greg Walden and Lee Terry, two Republicans, one from Oregon, one from Nebraska, they're also funded by the same companies, AT&T, the National Association of Broadcasters, Verizon, Qwest, AT&T, and of course, our friends at the NCTA.
So you know what? I'm literally begging Fred Upton to say you know what? I shouldn't be involved in this hearing, because one side of the issue has paid me off. One side of the issue has donated a ton of money for me to get reelected. So I'm literally begging Fred Upton, Louis, I'm begging the guy, just say that you're biased. Say that you've been paid off and you should recuse yourself from this hearing. Because anybody who does a basic Google search can tell that you have been paid off. And we know what side you're going to side on. We know what influence you will try to have. It is not going to be to put more restrictions on Comcast and Verizon and Cox, it is going to be to let them do whatever it is they want to do.
Louis: Right, but regardless, do you think the FCC will be successful in putting these restrictions in place?
David: Well, they already have, the question now is it's being reviewed. We have to see if it's too restrictive. Imagine that, if Comcast actually had to say you know, even though we bought NBC, we need to give everybody a fair shake. We need to make website access to all providers. And you know where this is really... should hit home for you, I have Netflix. Do you have Netflix, Louis?
Louis: No.
David: People can get rid of cable TV now. They can get Netflix for a few dollars a month, under $10 a month. You can get this Roku box or you can get I think the Playstation works or the Xbox, and you can stream live through your internet connection just about anything you would want, TV shows, movies, so on and so forth. If we don't have these restrictions on Comcast, they will make it, because you know that if they legally can do it they will do it, they will make it so that the quality of what you watch on Netflix streaming is worse or slower, it's wide open. And you know they're going to do that, because that would make people say wait, hey, I don't... maybe I should go back to cable TV if the Netflix videos are so slow, if they're buffering all the time, the video quality's bad. So you should be very concerned about this, and with internet access as well.
Transcript provided by Alex Wickersham and www.Subscriptorium.com. For transcripts, translations, captions, and subtitles, or for more information, visit www.Subscriptorium.com, or contact Alex at subscriptorium@gmail.com.