The
following is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president and CEO of Public Knowledge:
“It
is a shame that the owners of Hulu have decided to restrict access to the
site’s content to those with pay-TV subscriptions. By all accounts, the site was doing well supported by
advertising, attracting millions of visitors every month.
“Restricting
access to legal content will only drive consumers to find illegal content. In particular, we are concerned about
restricting access to TV programming available over free over-the-air
broadcasting. It should be
available online, regardless whether anyone subscribes to cable or satellite
TV. By putting more restrictions
on consumer access to popular content, the entertainment industry only removes
any justification for stronger “anti-piracy” laws it is perpetually
seeking from Congress.
“The
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was asked to include as a condition of
Comcast’s takeover of NBCU that subscription to a pay-TV service not be
required for access to Hulu. It is
a shame the Commission declined to do so.”