The radical crypto-Marxist “Free Press”, an organization dedicated to destroying private property rights, and calling for government takeovers of all forms of media, have come out today with yet another call for government regulation of the internet.

The concept of TV Everywhere is that a subscriber to a multichannel video distributor – without any additional charge – can watch TV programs online. It is likely that one effect of TV Everywhere is that more quality video program will be available over the Internet. And this, in turn, is likely to drive increased broadband adoption, a widely agreed-upon policy objective.

 

But Free Press and its allies, claiming to be representing consumers, contend the plan of the MVPDs to make television programs available on the Internet to subscribers without charge is actually anti-consumer. Of course, normally consumers are pleased when they are given additional options to make use of a product at no additional charge. And, as a matter of fact, I am not aware of any material opposition to the plan by actual consumers.

 

Nevertheless, Free Press and company have written to the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and legislators to complain that TV Everywhere is "problematic" because it may "upset the emerging market of online video." According to Free Press, "the TV Everywhere model requires consumers who wish to watch popular video content on the Internet to first subscribe" to a MVPD. This is the alleged harm.”