Michael K. Powell's Quotes

We think the whole world's going to change, and forget that human beings are still human beings; we have the same five senses, we still interact the same way, we still love and hate the same way, but marketers lose track of that. But then it comes down to earth.

I have a vision that's about technology that empowers consumers over institutions.

I think people have a vague sense that the television system is changing.

The first thing I feel like we have the potential to do is to deliver to consumers more roots to their home.

The industry must adhere to certain consumer protection norms if the Internet is to remain an open platform for innovation.

Behavioral psychologists have observed that wanting something has a much stronger emotional impact than the pleasure that comes once you have it, or the memory of having had it.

Broadband access is the great equalizer, leveling the playing field so that every willing and able person, no matter their station in life, has access to the information and tools necessary to achieve the American Dream.

Broadband eliminates so many barriers to entry for so many different people that it's actually become a barrier to entry in and of itself if you're not getting online on a regular basis.

Cable is a dynamic and highly innovative industry, providing cutting edge services and content that Americans love. The broadband platform the industry has deployed is a critical part of the infrastructure needed to realize our national ambition to be a great nation in the Information Age.

Conservatives were griping for decades about liberal media and nobody paid attention. Now, all of a sudden, one news channel has gotten a whole new community of people freaked out.

Giving consumers the choice of having it all in one big bite means different viewers are in many different places in the book, making it hard to discuss without spoiling the plot. The intervals between first-run programming provide a space for communion and that tantalizing sense of anticipation.

I love my DSL, but I love my WiFi more. And I probably get on the Internet 40 percent to 50 percent more because of the combination of those technologies.

It saddens me when public officials and bureaucrats are criticized for ulterior motives, none of which I have ever found in a government bureaucrat, or when someone personalizes disagreements.

More and more, job listings are exclusively available online and as technology evolves nearly every occupation now requires a basic level of digital literacy with web navigation, email access and participation in social media.

So as I look at transitioning to the communication platforms of the future, I see that the beauty of Internet protocols is you get the separation of the layers between service and technology.

Television is the original social network. Consumers love great television, but they also love talking about television. Sharing with friends the thrill of the last episode, debating what will happen next, working to enlist friends to watch the same shows that you love.

The comparison to the old world is something to get excited about. We have the potential for more choice and innovation, and a different regulatory environment that doesn't place as much weight on economic regulations of terms and conditions.

The U.S. has more broadband subscribers than any country other than China. Americans rank at the top in their use of the web, and numerous studies validate that the U.S. is a global innovation powerhouse. The leading Internet and e-commerce companies are located here.

Unlike the phone system, which is engineered around an application, the Internet layered model allows you to, in essence, separate applications from infrastructure.

We're trying to fix this with the plan we've been floating. Now, the law says the transition ends in 2006 or - and the 'or' is the only part that matters - 85 percent of Americans go buy a digital TV.

What scared me in that debate is that it's not about the ownership rules at all. The vast majority of people don't even know what the rules say, to be perfectly candid. Name all six of them.

You can sell nothing for a mark-up for a while, but only until something starts eating away at it. Now I can go home and click on Yahoo, call my sister and talk over a microphone for free.