Parents Television Council Demands Details Of Comcast's Porn Revenue

from the of-all-the-complaints... dept

Wed, Jun 30th 2010 12:40am — Mike Masnick

I still think those opposed to the Comcast/NBC Universal merger are overreacting, but I have to admit the most amusing effort to deal with the merger may come from the Parents Television Council, the group famous for flooding the FCC with complaints every time it hears about something it doesn't believe belongs on TV. Apparently, PTC is now demanding that Comcast reveal how much money it makes from porn. Honestly, I'm wondering if it got the idea from a recent episode of 30 Rock, which has been using the "fictional" ongoing merger between NBC (in the show) and Kabletown to mock the proposed real-life merger. In one episode, a Kabletown exec claims that the entire business is funded on porn, and execs don't have to do anything, because the money just rolls in.

"Comcast is one of the most far-reaching distributors of pornography in the communities it serves, raising serious questions about whether the company meets the character and public interest obligations required," said PTC President Tim Winter.

Interesting. I didn't realize that "character" was part of how the FCC reviewed mergers. Good luck with that one, PTC.

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Filed Under: parents television council, porn, revenue
Companies: comcast, nbc universal

29 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2010 @ 12:51am

Porn on the telly? is that still on?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2010 @ 12:54am

Re:
yeah but is all low res, no ff and you just have to wait.
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fairuse (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 1:10am

PTC confused: Thinks Comcast is Cable Radio
"Comcast is one of the most far-reaching distributors of pornography in
the communities it serves, raising serious questions about whether the
company meets the character and public interest obligations required,"
said PTC President Tim Winter.

1} PPV & adult channels fall into the "Big Frickin Deal". Waste of time and
money. Except for teenage boys and college 'frat' parties.

2) PTC: Parental Controls are in the settop box, not in your head.

3) PTC: It is not cable radio it's cable TV. Telecom Act public service rules for radio do not apply.

4) PTC: Get an internet connection for the good p0rn.

I needed a good laugh.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2010 @ 1:11am

Re:
yeah but is all low res, no ff and you just have to wait.
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fairuse (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 1:15am

Re: PTC confused: Thinks Comcast is Cable Radio
Dam, forgot. The 'public Interest' part of broadcast license transfer has more to due with market area than content.
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PaulT (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 2:10am

If only these organisations would spend half this level of effort actually getting parents to, you know, *parent* instead of trying to block things that the parents should be monitoring to begin with...
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Chunky Vomit, 30 Jun 2010 @ 2:19am

Maybe they aren't talking about TV as much as they are internet! Which, if that is the case, I'm sure it is true! While Comcast might not make direct revenue from the sale of porn on the net, it does supply the pipes... so byte for byte, they might be onto something.

Sadly, this is true for every ISP. hahaha!

Kinda puts a new spin on the "money shot".
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2010 @ 2:38am

"I still think those opposed to the Comcast/NBC Universal merger are overreacting"

I think not, one thing that fuel intense lobby and bad services is this merger of companies that have conflict of interests in the long run.

That point is simple but with powerful consequences.
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sat gal, 30 Jun 2010 @ 2:43am

There called Parental Controls
I used to work at directv, and one of the longest calls that I have ever had was due to a kid buying porn on the ppv, it was over 4.5 hours long (2 hr overtime that night) a simple 4 step process would have fixed her problem, but no it was our fault that she did not setup oarental controls on her set top reciever, a good ranting about how the government should regulate this sort of thing, I gave here this qoute,
"People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both." from good old Ben Franklin. she asked from my supervisor.
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Peet McKimmie (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 3:43am

Define "Porn"
The problem with a request such as this is that the people making it have a different definition of "Porn" to the majority of people who actually watch porn. For example, from their POV, all the advertising revenue from a series of "Californication" would count as "Porn income", despite the fact that here in the UK it's shown on normal unencrypted broadcast TV.
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techflaws.org (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 3:57am

'demand'? WTF?
I didn't realize the PTC was in a position to demand anything from anyone.
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NAMELESS ONE, 30 Jun 2010 @ 4:39am

think of the children comcast
NO GOOD RATINGS NOW FOR YOU
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mike allen (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 4:45am

Re: 'demand'? WTF?
they can demand what they want like I can demand your bank details. Doesant mean i will get them.
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Berenerd (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 5:44am

Re: Re: 'demand'? WTF?
You demand? damnit!

My pin is 12345....Just don't take my money out yet...I need my rent check to clear...
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Sergio, 30 Jun 2010 @ 5:48am

Why is porn a bad thing
No one has ever been able to answer the question: Why is porn bad? For the most part, no one is getting hurt (in a way they don't want). It beautifully tares down race and gender boundaries.

The only thing I can think of is that it's because we're told that porn is bad at a very young age. And like anything at that age, we don't need an explanation, we just believe it and carry it forward. I saw my first porn when I was 12 (no thanks to my prude parents btw) and I've been watching ever since. I didn't turn into some kind of deviant. I don't degrade women. I'm not a rapist or child molester. I'm not any of the things that people say porn does to people and neither are any of the many people I know who watch.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 6:04am

Re: Re: Re: 'demand'? WTF?
"My pin is 12345...."

My God! That's the kind of combination an idiot puts on his luggage!
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2010 @ 6:18am

the ptc people will do anything to stop the legal distribution of porn, including creating drama where none exists. comcast is a cable company that has adult channels (similar to direct tv and others) offered as ppv.

their standard method is to make anyone who enjoys porn look like a criminal, a pervert, a potential child molester, and an outcast. many companies and individuals fold to this kind of pressure.

for those who follow history, the ptc is just the current version of the moral majority, a small group of busy body idiots who think they can tell you what you can and cannot have.
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PaulT (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 6:29am

Re: Re: Re: Re: 'demand'? WTF?
"That's amazing! I've got the same combination on my luggage!"
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ac, 30 Jun 2010 @ 7:08am

conflict of interest
Why is Comcast in the porn biz anyway? If you go blind from you-know-what, you can't watch TV anymore.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2010 @ 7:12am

Freedom first
I wabt the freedom to have my pornography. I am 65 years old and have no woman. What am I supposed to do. Pick up an old woman to have sex with. Yuck. I want my freedom to eat cholesterol laden fatty meat and I want my pornography.
How dare they deny me my basic freedom and relief from the stresses of sex to me is a basic freedom.
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Free Capitalist (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 7:15am

Re:
TAM??? Can't be. This one seems to be against people telling them what they can and cannot have, and using the government as the instrument to achieve just that.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2010 @ 7:18am

No porn
No porn for the kiddies? No reason to teach them responsible sexuality. I want them to watch Sponge Bob instead so they can learn to bully their next door neighbor. Heaven forbid they might learn how to satisfy their wife.
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mjb5406 (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 8:18am

The PTC is a Joke
I've said it before and I'll say it again... the PTC has suck screwed up priorities that it's frightening. As often is the case, the lay blame for the "moral degeneration" of kids at the feet of someone else, when, in reality, it's the fault of uninvolved, uninterested parents. Comcast's retort is simple... every one of its set-top boxes (which is the ONLY way to view the porn they sell) has parental controls... USE THEM. This isn't a case where viewing that kind of programming should be "opt in", forcing people to, by default, enter a code to watch it. I'm sure, however, that the PTC is, as usual, funded by some politically connected, conservative group of religious fanatics. This has nothing to do with the Comcast/NBC-U merger, and everything to do with furthering their misguided agenda.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jun 2010 @ 8:47am

Re: Re:
Calm down there skippy. Everyone needs a little porn now and again.
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The Devil's Coachman (profile), 30 Jun 2010 @ 12:54pm

PTC - didn't they used to be the Legion of Decency?
I remember that way back when the Roman Catholic church thought they could tell you what movies and TV shows to watch and what books to read, or you would burn in hell for eternity. On the other hand, they had no problems with priests diddling alter boys before and after Mass. We always read their list so we would know what we needed to see.
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TtfnJohn (profile), 1 Jul 2010 @ 12:28pm

Re: Why is porn a bad thing
Because sex isn't a spectator sport!
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fate, 25 Aug 2010 @ 1:11am

Re: business
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Re: business
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