Cable One's Sparklight broadband service extended pandemic-related service allowances through 2021, it said Monday. Relaxed terms include a $10 monthly rate the first three months for its 15 Mbps service for low-income families, college students and seniors, free access to public Wi-Fi hot spots and its participation in the K-12 Bridge to Broadband program.
West Des Moines may have violated Iowa law when it used bonds for urban blight and poverty to build a $50 million municipal network for Google Fiber, Mediacom said Thursday. The cable company sought an injunction against the city in Iowa District Court for Polk County. “We aren’t asking for any special treatment, just a fair and balanced regulatory environment that allows us to expand our network and compete for the business of West Des Moines consumers,” said Thomas Larsen, Mediacom senior vice president-government and public relations. Google and the city didn’t comment.
Disney asked for an extension on ESPN's current exclusion from the list of top five national nonbroadcast networks subject to FCC audio description rules (see 2011020043). In a docket 11-43 posting Wednesday, it said ESPN doesn't average at least 50 hours per quarter of prime-time non-exempt programming, so audio description regulations don't apply to it.
The Supreme Court invited the acting solicitor general to submit a brief with the U.S. position on Comcast's petition for writ of certiorari, in a SCOTUS docket 20-319 notice Monday. The company seeks to undo a 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversal of a lower court's dismissal of Viamedia antitrust claims on Comcast's control of cable TV advertising interconnects (see 2002260020). Justice Amy Coney Barrett didn't take part in last week's consideration of Comcast's cert petition.
The AT&T TV Now vMVPD service is effective competition to Comcast and Cox Communications in a variety of Massachusetts communities, which now are exempt from basic cable rate regulation, said a Media Bureau order Monday granting the cablers' petitions (see 1912190070). The bureau pointed to the FCC's similar effective competition order granted to Charter, also based on the vMVPD. The Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable is challenging this before the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (see 2010080052). The department didn't comment now.
Ad-supported linear channels are a route to incremental revenue and new subscribers for streaming services, and expect more premium content providers to give them a shot, nScreenMedia analyst Colin Dixon blogged Tuesday. Sling TV, VUit and Showtime are experimenting with such streaming linear channels, he said.
The latest U.S. plus streaming video service is Discovery’s, slated for a Jan. 4 debut. Pricing for discovery+ is $6.99 for the ad-free version, $4.99 with ads. Discovery is partnering with Verizon, which will “accelerate adoption” by giving six or 12 months free on select broadband and wireless plans. Verizon was a partner when Disney+ launched last year. Content will include original series across Discovery brands, with shows from HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Discovery+ will be the streaming home of the Olympic Games in Europe, except in Russia, and Eurosport's premium sport offering.
Altice completed the sale of 49.99% of its Lightpath fiber business "for an implied enterprise value of $3.2 billion" to a Morgan Stanley investment fund, it said Tuesday. The deal was announced in July (see 2007290007).
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey (D) is contesting a U.S. District Court's summary judgment decision on behalf of Charter Communications (see 2010290039) to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said a notice of appeal (docket 20-cv-00168, in Pacer) filed Tuesday with the lower court. Charter sued regarding the state's requirement that cable operators prorate refunds of cable TV subscription cancellations. Charter outside counsel didn't comment.
Comscore will supply in-game ad platform Anzu with mobile audience measurement capability of display and video, said the companies. The gaming market is bigger than the music and film industries combined, with a worldwide audience topping 3 billion people that’s projected to spend nearly $175 billion in 2020, they said. “With this scope and potential, brand advertisers have started to consider in-game advertising as part of their multi-pronged advertising strategy, which means that third-party measurement and benchmarking is more relevant than ever.”