Greed vs. Greed, Round 3
The latest in the FCC vs. Time Warner Cable vs. the NFL Network:
According to the Sports Business Daily, Time Warner invited about 40 football-related bloggers in various markets to participate in a conference call concerning its carriage dispute with NFL Network. What this means is, TW has taken a proactive approach into getting bloggers on their side, rile them up and report to their constituents just how much the NFL Network is screwing them.
The Jets Blog operator Brian Bassett said in a story in something called Cablefax Daily: “I started doing this for fun, but when a multibillion dollar organization wants your help mobilizing a grassroots campaign against some policies by the NFL Network, it makes you think that this isn’t just a hobby anymore.� That's just the kind of thinking TW is looking for.
Someone at something called Endzoner.com wrote: “I feel like these guys are unable to comment with any sort of candor, since they’re actively engaged in negotiations with the NFL.�
Trade and consumer reporters were not invited to the call, by the way.
As for our boys at Deadspin.com, editor Will Leitch declined participating on the call, telling SBD: “I really don't need to sit on a conference call for a half hour, asking questions that, in such a canned setting, I'm not going to get an even slightly interesting answer to."
Welcome to the world of being a TV-radio columnist for the Daily News, Will.