What AOLs critics fear And their proposed solutions.
By BroadCasting & Cable Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/18/2000 8:00:00 PM
Worry
Media mega-giants
Impact
A handful of huge companies will shun competition for cooperation, stifling innovation and raising costs
Solution
Bar affiliation between media conglomerates
Worry
Proprietary standards
Impact
Outside users will be barred from instant messaging and other new services they develop
Solution
Require interoperable protocols for cross-company services
Worry
Restriction of "return path" signals needed for competitors' interactive signals
Impact
Affiliated shopping and interactive services will have a clear advantage over rival services
Solution
Antiblocking rules
Worry
Slower bit rates for rival video streams
Impact
Viewers will become frustrated waiting for non-affiliated content
Solution
Equal data rates
Worry
Local caching of content on company servers across the country
Impact
Proprietary content quicker to retrieve than rival offerings
Solution
Market rates for local caching, regardless of affiliation. Or most-demanded sites gets local caching (porn exempted)
Worry
"Force feeding"
Impact
Company electronic program guides will aggressively promote in-house programming
Solution
Require carriage of competing guides
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