Colorado Media Newsroom
April 8th, 2016, 10:46 AM
From The Denver Post:
Estrella TV, the third-ranked Spanish language TV network behind Univision and Telemundo, says cable giant Comcast is discriminating against the network in order to benefit its own Spanish language networks Telemundo and NBC Universo. Denver, Houston and Salt Lake City are the key markets where Estrella has been affected.
Estrella’s owner, Liberman Broadcasting, on April 8 filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against Comcast charging violations of the FCC’s Program Carriage regulations, as well as of the merger conditions imposed on Comcast when it acquired NBCUniversal.
This isn’t their first dispute. In 2015, Comcast and Estrella were in a carriage dispute in the same three markets. “They weren’t offering anything,” said Lenard Liberman, co-founder of the network. Estrella has been dropped from the Comcast lineup in those markets.
“In Denver we were the No. 2 Spanish language network in the market. When Comcast took us off the air, our ratings have essentially evaporated and their networks have done very well.” (Telemundo Denver has new offices and studios within the Comcast Media Center.)
In Denver, Estrella is available on DISH and DirecTV but not on Comcast. Its most popular programs include entertainment fare “Tengo Talenta Mucho Talenta” and “Rica Famosa Latina.”
Liberman Broadcasting is the largest minority-owned Hispanic broadcast company in the U.S., and the family-owned parent company of Estrella.
The case seeks to present “clear and compelling evidence that Comcast has discriminated against Estrella TV to benefit its own properties,” and, further, it claims Comcast is asking Estrella to relinquish digital rights of its content as a condition for carriage.
“They’ve made demands nobody else has and they’ve made no offers to us (for compensation),” said Liberman. “In the case of Time Warner there was give and take.” In the case of Comcast there was none, he said.
More... (http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2016/04/08/estrella-files-fcc-complaint-comcast/24393/)
Estrella TV, the third-ranked Spanish language TV network behind Univision and Telemundo, says cable giant Comcast is discriminating against the network in order to benefit its own Spanish language networks Telemundo and NBC Universo. Denver, Houston and Salt Lake City are the key markets where Estrella has been affected.
Estrella’s owner, Liberman Broadcasting, on April 8 filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against Comcast charging violations of the FCC’s Program Carriage regulations, as well as of the merger conditions imposed on Comcast when it acquired NBCUniversal.
This isn’t their first dispute. In 2015, Comcast and Estrella were in a carriage dispute in the same three markets. “They weren’t offering anything,” said Lenard Liberman, co-founder of the network. Estrella has been dropped from the Comcast lineup in those markets.
“In Denver we were the No. 2 Spanish language network in the market. When Comcast took us off the air, our ratings have essentially evaporated and their networks have done very well.” (Telemundo Denver has new offices and studios within the Comcast Media Center.)
In Denver, Estrella is available on DISH and DirecTV but not on Comcast. Its most popular programs include entertainment fare “Tengo Talenta Mucho Talenta” and “Rica Famosa Latina.”
Liberman Broadcasting is the largest minority-owned Hispanic broadcast company in the U.S., and the family-owned parent company of Estrella.
The case seeks to present “clear and compelling evidence that Comcast has discriminated against Estrella TV to benefit its own properties,” and, further, it claims Comcast is asking Estrella to relinquish digital rights of its content as a condition for carriage.
“They’ve made demands nobody else has and they’ve made no offers to us (for compensation),” said Liberman. “In the case of Time Warner there was give and take.” In the case of Comcast there was none, he said.
More... (http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2016/04/08/estrella-files-fcc-complaint-comcast/24393/)