AOL Time Warner asked FCC for ‘expedited treatment’ of company’s ...
AOL Time Warner asked FCC for “expedited treatment” of company’s claim that cable operators have right to block electronic program guides (EPGs) from other service providers. In new campaign against Gemstar-TV Guide International, which has complained about MSO’s stripping…
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Gemstar’s EPG from its cable systems in favor its own EPG, AOL Time Warner quietly filed petition for declaratory ruling with Commission May 9. Even though program-related material has right to cable carriage on vertical blanking interval of broadcast signal, MSO said, EPGs with broad programming, advertising and promotional information don’t qualify as program related. AOL Time Warner also argued that mandatory carriage of EPGs would violate First Amendment rights of cable operators. Gemstar-TV Guide, which had filed complaint against MSO’s stripping practices last year, abruptly dropped that complaint last month when it seemed clear that agency would rule against it. But AOL Time Warner, which restored Gemstar’s EPG to its systems at least temporarily, wants Commission to rule on issue anyway to stave off future objections. Separately, Gemstar-TV Guide said it lost $123.2 million in first quarter ended March 31, reversing profit of $27.3 million year ago. Company attributed large loss to write-offs for its $14.9 billion purchase of TV Guide. Loss came despite surge in revenue to $352.5 million from $84 million.