From the Calgary Herald: “Internet telephone provider ZingoTel has filed a $1.2 million lawsuit against Shaw Communications, claiming the cable giant refused to broadcast a ZingoTel TV spot because it promoted a competing phone service.” Via Michael Geist. Allegations, at this point, but is this another reason to be sceptical of claims that neutrality is a solution in search a problem? My suspicion is that concentrated ownership of the pipe and what passes through it gives the providers lots of latitude to creatively interfere with competition, and my (so far, limited) review of the Telecom Policy Panel’s report tells me the CRTC may have lost the stomach for the fight.
Last: “Zingotel”? What on earth is a “Zingotel”? (“Clan Zingotel from Gamma 9″? “I would have been here sooner but I got my Zingotel caught in the door … “.). I’ve been told lately that ultimately, creative doesn’t matter – that good marketing can overcome – but this seems too much to lay on the (hopefully, broad) shoulders of one marketing department.
