Re: Comcast merger FAQs

["Aaron 'Bishop' Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 06:46 PM 11/19/2002, Dan Billings wrote:
>As for cable mergers -- the local service is a
>monopoly to begin with!  Why does it matter if 5 big
>companies own most cable systems or four?
>
>-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine


The cable companies don't negotiate with the content providers strictly on 
a market-by-market basis...usually deals are made with several markets in 
mind.  So if there's several cable companies, the content providers are in 
a better position to make deals with the cable providers, and the consumer 
- in theory - gets better content because they get more channels.

Of course, in reality it doesn't really work that way...BUT, with fewer 
cable companies now the content providers are in less of a position to make 
deals and instead of the consumer getting screwed by default, they get 
screwed directly.
_________________________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read       aread@speakeasy.net
Fried Bagels Consulting   www.friedbagels.com
AOL-IM: ReadAaron         Brighton, MA 02135