Audio Video News

The US Senate last Friday voted to ban any reinstatement of the so-called Fairness Doctrine, which was originally introduced in United States in 1949 and became a policy of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1967, when there were only three television networks and no Internet. The FCC then abolished the doctrine in 1987, claiming that the proliferation of media outlets made it irrelevant.

Would you like to subscribe to both satellite radio and satellite television in one convenient package? You might get a chance if Liberty Media's John Malone gets his way. He's thinking of bundling Sirius XM, in which he now owns a minority interest, with DirecTV, in which he owns a controlling interest.

Responding to rumors that it may pull out of plasma manufacturing, LG reaffirmed its commitment to the category in a press release issued today. In its entirety, it says:

Oppo is well known for making superb DVD players, and it looks like the company is about to do it again with the introduction of its first Blu-ray player, the BDP-83. Slated to be a truly universal player with the ability to play Blu-ray, DVD, CD, DVD-Audio, and SACD, the BDP-83 has been in beta testing for many months, and it's finally close to shipping.

Want to see your local cable operator choke on his martini? Just say two little words: "cord cutting." This is the new jargon for consumers who cancel their cable service in favor of other options, according to the Associated Press.

On Monday night, 36 percent of the nation's TV stations ceased analog broadcasting, leaving only digital signals on those channels. On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission (1-888-CALLFCC) received 28,000 phone calls.

When we last left the DTV transition saga, the DTV transition delay was kicking into high gear, with some stations proceeding on February 17 and others waiting till June 12. In the latest twist, the Federal Communications Commission is rattling its regulatory saber at some of the stations that are planning to cut off analog television broadcasts next week.