MARAVEDIS

TV Everywhere, the cable industry’s collective effort to get more video content to a growing online audience, came under new fire last week from various advocacy groups, including Free Press, the Media Access Project and the publisher of Consumer Reports.

The groups charged collusion and anti-competitive conduct, saying that cable and satellite operators and telcos that are kicking the tires on TV Everywhere couldn’t help but agree not to compete in their respective territories if the model was going to work. They want regulators to ask cable companies some “tough questions.”

Free Press also tied its criticism to the proposed Comcast-NBCU merger — Comcast (NSDQ: CMCSA), along with Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) Inc., is a major player in TV Everywhere. Comcast had no comment, but Time Warner Inc. in a statement said it was just giving viewers the chance to watch shows anywhere they want to, via the internet, at no additional charge. The media company added it would “continue to pursue many other ways to distribute in a safe and secure way over the Internet our content to people, whether or not they subscribe to a video service.” More on Multichannel.