It isn't worth calling it Android.. I think when people think Android they think of the default interface, the ability to install applications from the App Market, and so on. I have a nook and it's basically stripped down to just a few customized apps (besides the reader function a couple games, a basic media player, and a web browser).
However, I do think it's important in that it shows the versatility of Android as a platform..
And the new Apple TV is an iOS device. Who cares? The OS in both cases is an implementation detail. Neither the ATV or the Nook remotely exemplify the features people associate with "iOS device" or "Android tablet".
I think the carriers are afraid of becoming commoditized; if their phones are open, then they really are nothing more than an ISP. If they had to compete like ordinary ISPs, price for bandwidth would become the primary selling point, and that eventually becomes a race to the bottom.
