NYC-TV = W-T-F-?
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In breaking news, the New York City government's commercial television station has struck a deal to air some of its programming on a major network affiliate.
In other news, the New York City government has a commercial television station:
This is not a PBS station -- that would be bad enough. This is not a public service or community access channel. This is a bona fide commercial television station that directly competes (if you can call it that) with private stations (of which New York City hardly has a shortage) for commercial market share.
Um, why? (Other than because some hack politician or bureaucrat thought it would be "neat-o"?)
Since when is it a proper function of government to produce commercial television programs such as "Cool in Your Code" or "NY Noise"? Since when is it proper to force New Yorkers to purchase, via their tax dollars, television shows such as "New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad" or "Videofashion News"?
But I suppose if you believe that it is perfectly logical for a municipal government to undercut the market for wireless Internet access (which is also not a public good), then I suppose you must also believe that it is perfectly logical for a municipal government to undercut the market for plain old television programming.
You'd be dead wrong, but so what?
In other news, the New York City government has a commercial television station:
NYC Media Group, formed in early 2005, is the entity responsible for managing and programming the City of New York’s media assets and forms an integral part of New York City's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.No, it's redefining the role of government in media, from "Utterly inappropriate!" to "Sure, why not?"
...
NYC Media Group is redefining the role of media in government.
This is not a PBS station -- that would be bad enough. This is not a public service or community access channel. This is a bona fide commercial television station that directly competes (if you can call it that) with private stations (of which New York City hardly has a shortage) for commercial market share.
Um, why? (Other than because some hack politician or bureaucrat thought it would be "neat-o"?)
Since when is it a proper function of government to produce commercial television programs such as "Cool in Your Code" or "NY Noise"? Since when is it proper to force New Yorkers to purchase, via their tax dollars, television shows such as "New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad" or "Videofashion News"?
But I suppose if you believe that it is perfectly logical for a municipal government to undercut the market for wireless Internet access (which is also not a public good), then I suppose you must also believe that it is perfectly logical for a municipal government to undercut the market for plain old television programming.
You'd be dead wrong, but so what?
Posted by Kip on
16 August 2006
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