DirecTV and Time Warner Cable are partners in the American Television Alliance (ATVA), which is pushing for retransmission consent reforms. But their views on Comcast, TWC's proposed new partner, don't appear to square.
A tweet on DirecTV's account Saturday (https://twitter.com/DIRECTV) pointed, though admittedly without comment, to a link to a video on humor site Funny or Die taking deadpan aim at Comcast and the proposed merger with TWC.
TWC chairman Rob Marcus has talked of the deal as teaming with a company that brought innovative products, services, and an industry-leading platform to American consumers. The Funny Or Die send-up of Comcast...not so much. the video is a mock image spot featuring a dad and sone playing in the park while dad comments that Comcast doesn't give a [darn]--insert the appropriate word beginning with "f"--about anything but itself.
The video was labeled on Funny or Die "a heartfelt message to you from Comcast regarding their upcoming merger with Time Warner."
If DirecTV came out against the TWC merger in more than tweeted barbs, it could definitely strain that ATVA partnership.
Elsewhere on the calling-names front, some broadcasters unhappy with a cable-friendly STELA bill being worked on by House Republicans--including potential provisions to get rid of must buy, break up some coordinated retrans negotiations and scrap the FCC ban on integrated set-tops--were starting to refer to it as the House Energy & Comcast Committee.
