Comcast, NBC Deal Opens Door For Online Video

Special to the Director's Cut Blog
By Joelle Tessler, AP Technology Writer 

New Internet video services from companies such as Netflix and Apple are offering a glimpse of a home entertainment future that doesn't include a pricey monthly cable bill.

To challenge the cable TV industry's dominance in the living room, though, online video services need popular movies and TV shows to lure viewers, and access to high-speed Internet networks to reach them. Yet they have had no rights to either -- until now.

To win government approval to take over NBC Universal last month, cable giant Comcast Corp. agreed to let online rivals license NBC programming, including hit shows such as "30 Rock" and "The Office."

Comcast also agreed not to block its 17 million broadband subscribers from watching video online through Netflix, Apple's iTunes and other rivals yet to come. Those requirements aim to ensure that the nation's largest cable TV company, with nearly 23 million video subscribers in 39 states, cannot stifle the growth of the nascent Internet video business.

Although they apply only to Comcast and NBC, these conditions could serve as a model for other big entertainment companies in dealing with new online competitors. They also send a powerful message that the government believes these promising young rivals deserve an opportunity to take on established media companies.

"These conditions are not just window dressing," said Paul Gallant, an analyst for MF Global, a financial brokerage. "They come across as a pretty comprehensive effort to give Internet TV a real shot at taking off."

The Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department spent more than a year reviewing Comcast's plan to buy a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric. The deal gives Comcast control over the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, cable channels such as CNBC and Bravo, the Universal Pictures movie studio and a stake in Hulu.com, which distributes NBC and other broadcast programming online.

Government officials wanted to ensure that Comcast could not crush competition through its control over both a major media empire and the pipes that deliver cable and Internet services to millions of American homes, but figuring out how to protect online video was tricky because the market is still taking shape.

Netflix offers subscription plans with unlimited online viewing for $8 a month. Apple and Amazon.com let customers rent or buy individual movies and TV shows for as little as a few dollars apiece -- providing an alternative for people who don't want big bundles of cable channels they may never watch. Apple and Google make set-top boxes and software that transfer online video to television sets, freeing it from computer screens. TV makers are also building in Internet capabilities. All these options could make it easier to cut the cable cord -- and the cable bill.

In 2010, Comcast's cable customers paid an average of $70 per month for video services, but with control of NBC Universal, Comcast could handicap Web rivals by overcharging for -- or simply withholding -- all sorts of marquee content. A "Top Chef" fan, for instance, might not drop cable if the show weren't available online. Comcast could also block or slow online video traffic on its massive broadband network. iTunes can't compete with cable if programs stutter online. 

None of the big online video companies would comment about Comcast and Comcast itself insists it does not see online video as a threat -- but rather a way to expand its own reach.Still, in approving the deal, federal officials attached dozens of conditions, including several big ones to protect Internet video: 

• Comcast must sell its content to online video services. That gives them access to marquee NBC Universal programming.
• Comcast can't interfere with Internet video traffic flowing over its broadband network. That means that it cannot prevent its subscribers from accessing Netflix and other Web video services, or slow down traffic from these services to make them jerky, unreliable and hard to watch.
• Comcast must sell stand-alone Internet access at a reasonable price, without tying it to a cable TV package, to enable cord-cutting. That includes offering a standard 6-megabit-per-second plan, which is fast enough to handle Internet video, for roughly $50 a month.

Although these requirements offer no guarantees of success for new online video services, they aim to ensure that Comcast cannot impede the online businesses. They also break new ground by giving Internet rivals some of the same protections that have long been available to satellite companies and other subscription TV competitors.

Existing FCC rules require cable TV companies to license the channels they own to such rivals. Now, new Internet video services can license big packages of NBC Universal programming for the same price that a traditional rival pays, or they can buy specific shows or channels if they are already licensing comparable programming from another major media company.

For example, if Netflix strikes a deal to license children's programming from The Walt Disney Co., Comcast must make comparable children's programming from NBC available to Netflix under similar terms. Only Comcast and NBC are bound by these conditions, yet they could pressure other media companies to make their programming available to online services, too. They could also serve as a blueprint for future government merger reviews and even shape new FCC rules affecting the whole industry.

"Before this deal, online video distributors had no rights to programming at all," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Rebecca Arbogast said. "This opens the door." That said, the rules make no promises. Internet companies may not be able to afford the full NBC Universal programming package as satellite TV and other rivals now do, said Thomas Eagan, an analyst with Collins Stewart.
 

Even Netflix, with more than 20 million subscribers, would have trouble paying a tab that Eagan estimates at $1.5 billion a year. This approach also shackles these new companies to traditional business models and inhibits innovation, added Philip Leigh, an analyst with research firm Inside Digital Media. What's more, a lot is open to interpretation with the requirement that Comcast follow the lead of other big media companies that license comparable programming -- say, comedies or reality shows -- to online services.

For instance, should Bravo have to license "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" to an online distributor just because MTV is providing "Jersey Shore"? What is to stop all the big media companies from simply operating in lockstep and withholding all programming from online distributors, which would prevent that option from being triggered?

David Cohen, Comcast executive vice president, has said the company could use various arguments to limit the types of programming it must supply. Disputes could wind up in arbitration.

Meanwhile Corie Wright, policy counsel for the public interest group Free Press, said she is disappointed that the government conditions do not attempt to break up a new online service being pioneered by Comcast and other subscription-television providers. This service, which Comcast calls Xfinity, puts popular cable shows on the Internet, but restricts access to subscribers."The government may have effectively blessed a business model that forces consumers to pay for a cable subscription to watch video online," she said. At this early juncture, it's impossible to predict just how the market will evolve.

Will Netflix and Apple squeeze the cable industry out of the living room? Will cable companies successfully fend off new online challengers? Or will there be room for both? Consumers will ultimately decide, but at least viewers will have a choice.

Video Rewind: A Look Back At The Old Channel 3 Building

By Frank Macek

It's hard to believe the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center is a decade old after we moved in December 2000/January 2001. In that time, we have celebrated the good times with Cleveland - and the bad.

Our first major experience in this "new" building was September 11th as the nation was stunned by the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Your blogger remembers the chaos of the moment and how emotional we all were. Some of our colleagues were in shock. But, we had a job to do - to bring a Cleveland perspective to the day that changed our nation. And we did.

Other memorable moments covered from here include the SuccessTech shootings that occurred right next door to our studios. Imagine the shock of arriving at work that day to find how difficult it was to get into work. All the roads were blocked and police were everywhere.

Other exciting events we covered include a major August blackout that left many states in the dark and the great recession that left our business a much smaller place.

In those ten years, we have dramatically changed the way we cover the news beginning with the technology. When we first moved in, we were digital - but not high definition. Today, all our productions are done in high def including our newscasts, sports specials and locally produced programming like Good Company Today.

Second, our news gathering has changed. When we moved, our newsroom was based on the AVID I-News and editing systems. Just this year, we upgraded to the Associated Press' ENPS system, Edius editing and BitCentral's video playback system that enables us to do news quicker and smarter.

Also in this time, many station jobs have been combined to create greater efficiencies as we moved from a newsroom to an information center concept originated by Gannett, our parent company.

And we have added a regional sports channel to our family, SportsTime Ohio, which airs all the Cleveland Indians games in high definition from inside the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center. That partnership, along with being the official television home of the Browns, has made our sports programming unmatched.

For your blogger, one of the biggest opportunities came when the director and technical director positions were combined. Today, I both call and punch my own shows which can be trying at times, but is fun. As a result, many of the control room functions have been automated to give me easier control over everything that goes on the air.

Finally, the biggest change of the decade was the switch from our analog to digital only broadcast signal. Channel 3 analog was signed off in July 2009 and we moved from digital Channel 2 to Channel 17, our present home. This included a complete rebuilding our tower location with one new tower going up, and the old coming down.

So, it's been a wild ride with many challenges. But as we look forward, we find it also fun to look back on some of the images of our old East 6th studios. Yes, we are feeling nostalgic 10 years later.

A Look at the Old East 6th Studios in January 2001



A look at the 1999 construction

Channel 3 Launches Newly Designed WKYC.COM

You'll find cleaner, streamlined pages. The home page and section pages have fewer distracting colors so you can get straight to the news, weather and sports headlines or find your favorite section with ease.

Photo galleries and videos are easier to find on the home page. And you'll find them embedded more prominently in articles, making it easier to navigate all our coverage.

On wkyc.com, the focus will be on content -- headlines, stories, photos, videos and graphics. But even with the best design intentions, we might have missed something. So, if you are having any issues, have a suggestion, or have something to say about the site please tell us.

You can comment right here on this article, send an email to us, newsdesk@wkyc.com, or talk to us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WKYC.Channel3

The conversation on wkyc.com will improve, too. If you have accounts for Facebook and wkyc.com, you'll be able to log in to WKYC with your Facebook information. One less password to remember.

We're anxious to hear what you think!

New NBC show "The Voice" Seeking Auditions On-Line

In a first for network reality competitions, NBC’s new series “The Voice” (premiering spring 2011), will bring the audition experience to viewers at home by allowing users to showcase their talents online via a new interactive tool available on NBC.COM (http://www.nbc.com/thevoice).

While the show’s casting team is searching the nation, working with music industry experts and hosting casting calls in an effort to find the nation’s top talent, “The Voice Online Audition Tool” takes the process one step further -- allowing the show to find potential contestants right in their own homes via the use of a personal computer and a webcam.

"This unique interactive online experience that provides immediate feedback and scoring is an evolution in the casting process. This technology will exponentially expand our reach but, of course, only the best of the best will make it on to the show," said Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming and Production, NBC. "The possibility that the next global superstar could be discovered through this innovative tool is incredibly exciting to all of us involved."

The tool records performances and then rates them on a scale from 1 to 10 based on pitch and expression. Once submitted, eligible performances will be showcased on NBC.COM; they can then be rated by fans and shared via social networks.

“The Voice” casting team will review submitted videos, seeking the ones that boast the highest scores and the best performances. Users interested in a chance to compete in this season of the show are encouraged to submit their best performances by March 1, the current casting cut-off.

Unlike an open casting call, users of the online tool have the opportunity to practice and hone their performance, rate themselves against others, work to raise their score and submit multiple times.

“The Voice” is modeled after Holland’s top-rated vocal talent discovery show, “The Voice of Holland.”

Hosted by Carson Daly, “The Voice” is a show about real talent. Four famous musicians search for the best voices in America and will mentor these singers to become artists. America will decide which singer will be worthy of the grand prize.

The show’s innovative format features three stages of competition.

The first begins with the blind audition, then the competition enters into a battle phase, and finally, the live performance shows.

During the blind auditions the decisions from the coaches are based solely on voice and not on looks.

The coaches hear the contestants perform but they don't get to see them thanks to rotating chairs. If a coach is impressed by the contestant's voice, he/she pushes a button to select the contestant for his/her team.

At this point, the coach’s chair will swivel so that he/she can face the contestant he/she has selected.

If more than one coach selects the talent, the power shifts to the contestant, who may choose which coach he/she wants to work with throughout the competition.

Once the teams are set, the battle is on. Coaches will mentor the contestants and dedicate themselves to developing their singers, giving them advice, and sharing the secrets of their success. During the battle rounds, the coaches will pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together in front of a studio audience. After the vocal face-off, the coach must choose which of his/her singers will advance.

At the end of the battle episodes, only the strongest members of each coach's roster remain and proceed to the live stage shows.

In this final performance phase of the competition, the top contestants from each team will compete against each other during a live broadcast. The television audience will vote to save one talent on each team, leaving the coach to decide live who they want to save and who will not move on. At last, each coach will have his or her best contestant left standing to compete in the finale. From these four, one will be named “The Voice" and will receive the grand prize of a recording contract and $100,000.

Director's Cut Alert: Robin Swoboda Joins Channel 3 News Team

Robin Swoboda

One of Northeast Ohio’s most respected and well-loved personalities returns to her journalistic roots with a new station and new assignment.

“I am happy to announce that Robin will be anchoring our 7pm newscast, along with current reporter Chris Tye,” said WKYC President and General Manager Brooke Spectorsky. “I know Robin’s experience, community knowledge and warm sense of humor will bring a unique perspective to our newscast. You’ve seen Chris substituting for anchors Mark Nolan and Romona Robinson over the past few years; he’s got great energy and strong reporting skills. Together, Robin and Chris will be a dynamic team.”

“When I started as an evening anchor in 1986, I never would have imagined the course my on-air life would take,” added Robin. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it all; from local shows to network programming to the Morning Exchange. But my first love has always been news, and I feel that’s where my strongest contributions will be. I’m truly excited to join the news team at WKYC, and I look forward to re-imagining the 7pm show with Chris, Betsy and Jim. I’ve got lots of ideas already…look out Cleveland!”

Currently hosted by reporters Monica Robins and Eric Mansfield, the WKYC 7pm show was first in the market, and concentrates on in-depth reporting and analysis.

“When we moved to a single anchor format with Romona at 6 and 11pm, we took two of our strongest beat reporters off the street and moved them into a different role at 7,” explained News Director Rita Andolsen. “The opportunity to hire Robin coincided with our realization that we needed to reinstate resources for our medical coverage and Akron/Canton content.”

Swoboda will begin on-air in early March. In addition to past roles as a news anchor for WJW and WEWS, she has also co-hosted several national non-news programs including “InSport” with Ahmad Rashad, “Cover To Cover” with Gayle King and co-host of WEWS “Morning Exchange”. Most recently, she was the program host for “The Robin Swoboda Show”, an advertiser friendly show on WJW.

Former WKYC Anchorman Bob McBride Passes Away

Bob McBride, courtesy The Washington Post

The Director's Cut Blog has learned that former WKYC Anchorman Bob McBride passed away February 1st in Alexandria, Virginia, at age 84 following a stroke.

Bob abandoned plans to retire from the Washington TV scene when he received the call to come to Cleveland and join Doreen Gentzler on the anchor desk at WKYC in 1986.

According to his obituary in The Washington Post, Doreen Gentzler remembers Bob fondly. "He was a really good guy, a gentlemen with a friendly world for everyone. He had a good sense of humor and never took himself too seriously."

Ironically, Gentzler would later move on to WRC-TV/4 in Washington D.C., the same station Bob had worked before coming to WKYC.

Bob was born in Chicago and graduated from the Fork Union Military Academy in Virgina in 1943. He is survived by two daughters and a grandson. His wife, the late Cythnia Martin McBride died in 2007.

NBC Announces Carson Daly As Host of New Competition Series, "The Voice'

Carson Daly

Carson Daly, host of NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly,” will host NBC’s compelling new vocal competition series “The Voice,” from the hit-making reality show pioneers John de Mol, Mark Burnett and Warner Horizon Television. The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming and Production.

“Carson is the perfect choice to host this exciting new series owing to his credibility, popularity and relevance in both the music world and social media,” said Telegdy. “As he has demonstrated on his late-night show, Carson has the knack of recognizing new talent, which is a key component in ‘The Voice.’”

"I have a true appreciation for authentic, raw talent and 'The Voice' is all about finding that," said Daly. "Having worked in the music industry for many years, I am looking forward to hosting 'The Voice.' This is a show based strictly on vocal performance -- giving all kinds of talented singers the opportunity to reach millions across the country."

“The Voice,” modeled after Holland’s top-rated vocal talent discovery show, “The Voice of Holland,” will be brought to America in spring 2011.

With music always the focus, Daly’s career has spanned a multitude of media, including network television, radio, the recording industry and digital. Daly began his career in radio in the early 1990s and quickly moved up the ranks and landed one of the most coveted positions in the radio business--that of the early evening voice of Los Angeles’ influential and top-rated KROQ-FM. MTV soon recognized his talent and brought him to New York City.

It was at MTV that Daly’s popularity exploded. In the era of young pop stars and rock stars, Daly solidified his roots as a pioneer of pop culture by introducing us to icons: Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Kid Rock, Eminem and many more. As host and executive producer of MTV’s "Total Request Live" (TRL), he transformed an afternoon music video program into a must-stop on the publicity circuit for musicians, movie stars and entertainers alike.

In January 2002, Daly began his late-night television show "Last Call with Carson Daly" (Monday-Friday, 1:35-2:05 a.m. ET), which is currently entering its 10th season as a part of the network’s top-rated, late-night lineup. Re-writing the rulebook for late-night television, Daly has taken his show out of the studio and on location every night. The new format dubbed “Talk-Doc” for its documentary feel, has been widely considered groundbreaking.

While “Last Call” boasts diverse bookings in the worlds of entertainment, politics and sports, it is the progressive music bookings that have earned Daly his bragging rights among the late-night crowd. Since day one, "Last Call" has been the show that gives many of the hottest bands their first break on U.S. television including The Killers, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, Ray La Montagne, Modest Mouse, 30 Seconds to Mars, B.o.B and many more.

In addition to “Last Call,” Daly and Universal Media Studios produced the annual New Year’s Eve primetime special "NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly" for its seventh year, ringing in 2011 live from Times Square.

In January 2010, Daly returned to his radio roots and currently hosts the morning drive from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday on KAMP (AMP Radio 97.1) in Southern California.

“The Voice” is a show about real talent. Four famous musicians search for the best voices in America and will mentor these singers to become artists. America will decide which singer will be worthy of the grand prize.

The show’s innovative format features three stages of competition. The first begins with the blind audition, then the competition enters into a battle phase, and finally, the live performance shows. During the blind auditions the decisions from the coaches are based solely on voice and not on looks. The coaches hear the contestants perform but they don't get to see them thanks to rotating chairs. If a coach is impressed by the contestant's voice, he/she pushes a button to select the contestant for his/her team. At this point, the coach’s chair will swivel so that he/she can face the contestant he/she has selected. If more than one coach selects the talent, the power shifts to the contestant, who may choose which coach he/she wants to work with throughout the competition.

Once the teams are set, the battle is on. Coaches will mentor the contestants and dedicate themselves to developing their singers, giving them advice, and sharing the secrets of their success. During the battle rounds the coaches will pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together in front of a studio audience. After the vocal face-off, the coach must choose which of his/her singers will advance.

At the end of the battle episodes, only the strongest members of each coach's roster remain and proceed to the live stage shows. In this final performance phase of the competition, the top contestants from each team will compete against each other during a live broadcast.

The television audience will vote to save one talent on each team, leaving the coach to decide LIVE who they want to save and who will not move on. At last, each coach will have their best contestant left standing to compete in the finale. From these four, one will be named “The Voice" and will receive the grand prize of a recording contract and 100,000 dollars “The Voice” is a presentation of Talpa Productions, Mark Burnett and Warner Horizon Television. Created by De Mol, he will executive produce along with Burnett.