Consumerist challenges FCC to stop Cablevision's digital TV lies

The Consumerist ran a fantastic expose of Cablevision, whose agents are trained to lie to customers about the digital TV transition in order to convince them to upgrade set-top boxes (the transition affects over-the-air broadcasts, not cable TV). For its part, Cablevision responds with another lie, saying that it doesn't do this, despite the Consumerist having recorded proof that it does.

More shocking, however, is how the FCC responded: with a shrug. This issue exemplifies the value of muckraking around what appear to be trivial issues: an inconsequential $6.50 upgrade takes us all the way to demonstrating a regulator's disinterest in upholding the law.

[#1 posted by Jake0748 , April 21, 2008 8:53 AM]

With the lack of comments here, I guess we are ALL reacting with a shrug. We've all become so jaded and we so much expect the worst from big companies and the government... sigh.

[#2 posted by Clifton , April 21, 2008 10:07 AM]

You should remember that the FCC went all the way to the Supreme Court demanding a ruling that they did not need to uphold any laws passed by Congress - and got it.

This is why you don't have cable Internet access offered by your choice of ISPs, as the law says you should, and instead you have to take whatever the cable monopoly and telco monopoly dole out to you. That's what the FCC wants.