Chang the techno-anarchist

From
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la...nes-technology
(free registration required)

Hey, You Need a License to Watch That!
* A sports fan is viewing the Games on Canadian satellite TV. FCC says
he failed to go through the proper channels.

By David Colker, Times Staff Writer

Sitting in front of the TV to watch the Olympics in his Playa del Rey
condo, Elliott Chang looks innocent enough.

But don't be fooled. His TV is tuned to Canada's CBC network, and that
makes Chang an outlaw.

The mild-mannered 48-year-old publicist is one of a stalwart group of
U.S. sports fans who subscribe to a Canadian satellite TV service to get
what Chang says is less jingoistic, more event-oriented coverage of the
Athens games than is offered up by NBC.

Chang put out about $300 for the necessary equipment and pays $26 a
month to the Bell ExpressVu satellite TV service in Toronto.

"I'm not pirating anything," he said this week.

Still, according to the Federal Communications Commission, he's in
violation of a law that prevents couch potatoes in the U.S. from
receiving programs from foreign satellite providers unless they have a
special license to do so.

The process of getting TV from our neighbor to the north is a tad shady.
People have to acquire specially tuned dishes and receivers. They're
available for $100 to $400 each from numerous Internet suppliers,
including Mike Kohl in the innocuous-sounding Plain, Wis. "I fill niche
markets," Kohl said.

The next step is to sign up for service with Bell ExpressVu or
competitor Star Choice. But to do that, a customer must show a valid
address in Canada.

"I don't get involved with that," Kohl said. "But I can refer them."

Several "address brokers" on the Web will provide an address for $25 to
$50 a year.

It's not likely that sports purists like Chang will make it onto
"America's Most Wanted" anytime soon. Neither the FCC nor executives at
the biggest U.S. satellite TV providers — DirecTV Group Inc. and
EchoStar Communications Corp.'s Dish Network — could recall anyone ever
getting cited.

Chang believes his only crime is wanting better TV. "You get a much more
balanced perspective on the world, without all the flag-waving."

Tell it to the judge.

Ewoud Dronkert writes:

Chang believes his only crime is wanting better TV. "You get a much more
balanced perspective on the world, without all the flag-waving."


Geez, then the US channels really must be awful if he thinks CBC is Utopia.

--
le Vent a Dos, Davey Crockett
Six Day Site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

wrote in message
...
Ewoud Dronkert writes:

Chang believes his only crime is wanting better TV. "You get a much more
balanced perspective on the world, without all the flag-waving."


Geez, then the US channels really must be awful if he thinks CBC is
Utopia.

Truer words were never spoken.

"B. Lafferty" wrote in message
nk.net...

wrote in message

...
Ewoud Dronkert writes:

Chang believes his only crime is wanting better TV. "You get a much
more
balanced perspective on the world, without all the flag-waving."


Geez, then the US channels really must be awful if he thinks CBC is
Utopia.

Truer words were never spoken.

Now if other channels could be like TCM and get rid of commericals, but of
course we know what that's all about. Nice dream, TCM being one of my
favorites for old classics. TCM being little different then packaged HBO
clones, since it's included in broader packages. I'd pay for the games on a
pay per view channel without commericals, or special games package with
(full) coverage of all events. How about just pay for certain events, pay
per event. I'd just pay for cycling, marathon and a few others, if I see any
more swimming I am going to puke! No more swimming!!!!!!

"B. Lafferty" wrote in message ink.net...
wrote in message
...
Ewoud Dronkert writes:

Chang believes his only crime is wanting better TV. "You get a much more
balanced perspective on the world, without all the flag-waving."


Geez, then the US channels really must be awful if he thinks CBC is
Utopia.

Truer words were never spoken.

actually, having lived in both countries, we always found CBC news in
particular to be very very good. very global, and very objective. I
still get it in vermont.

plus, you can see boobies on the french stations

j

Ewoud Dronkert wrote:

snip

A bunch of disturbing stuff about government intrusion. The FCC should be
abolished.

http://www.shirky.com/writings/spect...blic_good.html

On 20 Aug 2004 11:20:35 -0700, (jerry) wrote:

plus, you can see boobies on the french stations

What, they like the French version of the English bobbies? We have
whole shows about cops in the U.S. Not sure I'd pay extra to get it on
cable...

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

Sierraman wrote:
if I see any
more swimming I am going to puke! No more swimming!!!!!!

the other nite i threw the tv remote i was holding at my bf and yelled,
"change the channel to something that isn't swimming!! i never want to
watch swimming again!"

we get cbc. don't have to do anything special at all to get it, i think
cause we're close to the border. but i'm still ****ed at them for not
showing the women's tt when they said they would.

heather

"h squared" wrote in message
...


Sierraman wrote:
if I see any
more swimming I am going to puke! No more swimming!!!!!!

the other nite i threw the tv remote i was holding at my bf and yelled,
"change the channel to something that isn't swimming!! i never want to
watch swimming again!"

we get cbc. don't have to do anything special at all to get it, i think
cause we're close to the border. but i'm still ****ed at them for not
showing the women's tt when they said they would.

heather

I been barfing up Big Al and swimming!! Found a good movie to make up for
it!!

"Sierraman" wrote in message
...

"B. Lafferty" wrote in message
nk.net...

wrote in message


.
com...
Ewoud Dronkert writes:

Chang believes his only crime is wanting better TV. "You get a
much
more
balanced perspective on the world, without all the flag-waving."


Geez, then the US channels really must be awful if he thinks CBC
is
Utopia.

Truer words were never spoken.

Now if other channels could be like TCM and get rid of commericals,
but of
course we know what that's all about. Nice dream, TCM being one of my
favorites for old classics. TCM being little different then packaged
HBO
clones, since it's included in broader packages. I'd pay for the games
on a
pay per view channel without commericals, or special games package
with
(full) coverage of all events. How about just pay for certain events,
pay
per event. I'd just pay for cycling, marathon and a few others, if I
see any
more swimming I am going to puke! No more swimming!!!!!!

Real men watch swimming. You must be gay, eh?