Topic: Time Warner

The hosts interpret a *Time* magazine cover as a symbol of the military "sucking off the tit" of the American public. They also discuss University of Michigan research using Microsoft Kinect sensors to detect autism in children, warning that this technology will lead to home surveillance and forced medical interventions.

HBO is set to release a film titled "Brexit" starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which focuses on the data-driven tactics used by the "Leave" campaign. The hosts characterize the film as elite propaganda designed to convince the public that the referendum was manipulated by technology and figures like Steve Bannon. They mock the production as a "Hollywood elite" attempt to delegitimize the vote.

The hosts interpret a tweet by French President Emmanuel Macron as a potential threat, though the media ignored it. They then dive into the massive merger between AT&T and Time Warner, which was cleared by a federal judge. The hosts predict that the bet on "content and pipe" will eventually bankrupt AT&T, as the Netflix model of high-cost production is unsustainable.

Rudy Giuliani made conflicting statements regarding President Donald Trump's involvement in blocking the Time Warner and AT&T merger. While Giuliani initially suggested the President denied the merger, he later walked back the comments to align with the administration's stance that the Department of Justice acted independently. The media's transition from the McCain story to the Giuliani story is highlighted as a strategic narrative shift.

Actor Robert Davi appeared on Tucker Carlson's show to suggest that White House briefings should identify reporters by their corporate parent companies, such as "Time Warner's CNN" or "Comcast's NBC." The goal would be to hold large conglomerates accountable for the news their subsidiaries produce. The hosts support the idea as a way to expose potential collusion and corporate interests in news reporting.

AT&T has reached an $85 billion deal to acquire Time Warner, a move that would grant the telecom giant control over CNN, HBO, and Warner Brothers. Donald Trump has vowed to block the merger, arguing it creates an oligopoly with too much control over information. Critics also warn that the deal could lead to preferential treatment for Time Warner content on AT&T's network, potentially violating net neutrality principles.

Mashable announces a significant shift in strategy, laying off editorial staff to focus on video and native advertising. The hosts attribute this "pivot" to financial pressure from investors like Turner and Time Warner. The move is seen as an attempt to emulate the Vice Media model after failing to sustain a broad news and lifestyle scope.

A visit to the historic town center of Van Buren is described as bittersweet due to the conversion of 1880s Victorian buildings into modern shops. One host details staying at an Austin RV park famously used by Matthew McConaughey, noting a dispute where Time Warner Cable refused to provide cable boxes to the facility.

Donald Trump claimed during a campaign event that People Magazine photoshopped a "wart" onto his nose for their cover story. The hosts examine the image and discuss the potential subliminal effects of such edits. Trump compared his desired look to Cary Grant and criticized the ownership of Time Warner, which owns People and CNN.

Apple's decision to allow ad-blocking software in the App Store threatens the financial viability of the open web, potentially forcing publishers into closed ecosystems like Facebook. This shift mirrors the early days of the internet when AOL dominated user experience through a proprietary "walled garden" model. While ad blocking improves mobile usability, it accelerates the migration of capital toward aggregated systems where advertising cannot be easily bypassed.

The hosts suggest that the FCC's Net Neutrality ruling was actually designed to facilitate the merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable. They argue that reclassifying the internet under Title II provides the regulatory framework needed to approve such a massive anti-competitive deal. A new presidential memorandum on expanding broadband deployment is also discussed as a dovetailing policy.

Adam Curry critiques the "Fight for the Future" (FFTF) organization and its campaign against the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger. He argues that net neutrality regulations will actually lead to increased censorship of "unlawful content," including hate speech and peer-to-peer traffic. Curry warns that the FFTF is "duping" the public into supporting government regulation of the internet.

The discussion focuses on the push to classify the internet as a common carrier under Title II. The hosts argue that this move actually benefits large incumbents like Comcast and Time Warner by creating a regulated utility environment that stifles smaller competitors and municipal broadband projects.

The discussion turns to the proposed Comcast-Time Warner merger and how net neutrality rules might facilitate it. They argue that Comcast prioritizes its own video-on-demand services over Netflix for competitive reasons, and that future regulation will lead to deep packet inspection and content filtering.

A new advertising campaign promoting the merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable is analyzed. The ads claim the merger will protect net neutrality and provide faster internet for children. The hosts deconstruct the logic, arguing that the companies are using "net neutrality" as a buzzword to gain regulatory approval for a monopoly that will actually result in less competition and more control over network traffic.

Tech reporter Ryan Block released a viral recording of a Comcast representative refusing to cancel his service. The hosts speculate that the timing of the release is intended to influence the pending Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger by highlighting poor customer service.

Adam Curry details his experience negotiating with Time Warner Cable in Austin, where his monthly bill for a "triple play" package reached $333. He discusses the lack of true competition in the ISP market and the necessity of high-cost plans for professional broadcasting.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak conclude the episode by discussing the logistics of Curry's move and the difficulty of scheduling Time Warner cable installations. They promote the show's search engine and show notes before signing off for the final time from the Travis Heights hideout. The episode ends with a recurring clip about being a "rule follower."

The U.S. Conference of Mayors passed resolutions reaffirming support for Common Core standards and the implementation of municipal broadband. While framed as promoting competition, the hosts argue that mayors often create local monopolies by granting exclusive rights to companies like Comcast. The resolutions also use "net neutrality" language that emphasizes the regulation of "lawful" content, raising concerns about future internet censorship.

The discussion shifts to net neutrality and the lack of competition in the broadband market caused by anti-competitive municipal deals. A systems administrator's perspective is shared, comparing bandwidth promises to state pensions that may never be fully realized. The hosts argue that LTE providers offer a viable alternative to traditional cable monopolies if consumers look past flat-pricing marketing.