The controversial Barry Diller-backed Aereo, which was put out of commission by the Supreme Court, may have a new lease on life. The company used dime-sized antennas to redistribute local stations, according to the New York Post, but now it wants to join forces with cable TV, said CEO Chet Konija in a blog post, who met with FCC chairman Tom Wheeler to discuss a new classification.
A Manhattan Federal Court will have a hearing on the issue on October 15. If the FCC agrees, Aereo will agree to carry only local stations without having to be lumbered with large packagers regular programmers commit to in deals with programmers. Aero said taking a bundle of cable and broadcast channels “could harm the economic viability of online streaming services.” The CEO added, “We believe that clarifying (our classification” to include linear online video services like Aereo’s will have a clear benefit to customers, creators and distributors alike.”
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