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http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/16/us/politics/obama-set-top-boxes.html
>WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday announced his support for opening the market for cable set-top boxes, singling out the devices in millions of homes as a clunky and outdated symbol of corporate power over consumers as he introduced a broad federal effort to increase competition.
>In an unusual step, Mr. Obama weighed in personally on a pending proposal at the Federal Communications Commission, having his administration file comments that applauded the effort to loosen cable companies’ grip on the boxes and endorsing the move in an interview.
>He said it was one example of the kinds of actions government agencies should take in response to an executive order he signed on Friday calling for proposals for administrative action to promote competition and better protect consumers.
>“The cable or satellite box is just one example of an area where, because it’s been tied to the provider and you rent it, and consumers spend billions of dollars on it every single year, there hasn’t been much innovation,” Mr. Obama told Yahoo Finance in an interview taped on Thursday. “Our private sector thrives, and innovation is the hallmark of the United States — that’s our big comparative advantage with other countries — but it starts to become less effective, and reduces both what consumers get and the kind of innovation we generate, if we get closed systems or if people are gaming the system.”
>The announcements are the latest moves by Mr. Obama to push back against the forces of consolidation and monopoly, and to shift power away from large corporations in an array of industries.
...
Other coverage:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-plans-new-focus-on-market-competition-beginning-with-cable-boxes-1460714400
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cable-competition-obama-idUSKCN0XC12M
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/obama-urges-agency-open-competition-101226926.html#
>>38981
>administrative action to promote competition and better protect consumers.
Did some corporation forget to bribe him and so he acts all passive aggressive now?
Muh open market?
Since when did free market and competition mean anything in America in the last 100 years?
Corporations shouldn't be able to get their way regardless of bribing politicians.
>>38981
Meh..cable tv is for retards who like getting ripped off.get wifi.get roku.problem solved.
>>38999
I think that's the point is that now they won't get ripped off (as much)
>>39000
Good for cable subscribers then i guess?i dont see why Obama needs to spend any time on this issue at all.
>>39002
CableTV providers are constantly rated the worst companies in many different consumer satisfaction surveys, worse than airlines even.
It doesn't take a genius to see why Obama would align himself against them.
>>39004
Idk...i reread the article and fail to see any substance.this is a waste of time.i cant even figure out wtf obamas saying here.the cable box is the problem?its just the delivery device needed to use your cable service.i guess maybe making people rent them is unfair.whats he mean by encouraging set top box competition though?i feel like obama has no idea how cable tv works.
>>39006
You would understand if you were a cable subscriber. The cable companies tell you which kinds of DVRs you can rent from them and purposely limit their capabilities. What Obama is doing is directing the FCC to make the cable companies open the market for these "Set-top boxes" so that any company can make them for use with the standard digital cable services.
>>38981
Sounds like they want a single government approved™ model which will monit... help the consumer save money.
>>39018
I don't understand how anyone who doesn't work for a cable company could be on the side of the cable companies in this situation.
>>38981
It's a phenomenal idea. Some of the most revolting companies on the planet manopolize cable, track customer data using those things, and use them to throttle internet.
I'm not even a Democrat.
>>39019
Im friends with several guys that DO work for a cable company and they wouldnt be on their side in this or anything lol
>>39022
Because some people believe that anything anti-business or anti-corporate MUST be pro-government, despite how illogical that is.
>>39192
Exactly.
"Net neutrality is Obamacare for the internet." --Ted Cruz
>>38981
It's funny how even though he gets blasted for not making progress in some areas, he keeps rekking big companies in the ways most consumers don't think of. See:copyright trolls.
