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From: brad@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Brad Spear)
Newsgroups: net.dcom,net.video,net.ham-radio
Subject: Re: Satellite viewing "freedoms"
Message-ID: <2348@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Sep-85 19:16:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.2348
Posted: Mon Sep 16 19:16:17 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Sep-85 05:09:11 EDT
References: <779@vortex.UUCP> <262@mot.UUCP>
Reply-To: brad@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Brad Spear)
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 31
Xref: watmath net.dcom:1310 net.video:1528 net.ham-radio:3269
Summary: 

In article <262@mot.UUCP> fred@mot.UUCP (Fred Christiansen) writes:
> ... if i watch network TV, i am paying to watch it indirectly ...
> ... if i watch cable TV, i am paying to watch it directly ...
> ... if i watch satellite TV, using my own dish, i am paying for it (cost a
> fair bundle to get that baby!).  so i'm *NOT* freeloading.

It may be costing you, but the provider is making zilch.  In the first two
cases, the entity that is providing the service sees a return. That is:

	1) company pays for spot, recoups losses with additional price on
	   product and profits by increased sales

        2) company provides transmission lines or home decoder boxes and
           the electronics to transmit the channels, makes their profit by
	   providing and charging for this service.

In the third case however, companies are paying the owner of the satellite
for the ability to use it for their own purposes or to sell their
transmissions to cable companies.  When you receive that signal, you are
freeloading on their information; they do not get paid for it unless the
signal is scrambled and you rent a decoder from them, which immediately
puts you in case 2 above.  The only ones who profit from this are the
commercial channels transmitted via satellite, which becomes case 1 above,
and the companies that make satellite dishes, downconverters and the lot.

Of course, receiving satellite transmissions could be made into case two if
the originators made some deal with the satellite manufacturers, and caused
a fee to be passed on to you for the service.

Brad Spear
sdcrdcf!brad