Re: Lowell Sun on ATT Comcast Cuts

["Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Vahey" <k-vahey@attbi.com>
To: "Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>; "Boston Radio Mailing List"
<bri@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: Lowell Sun on ATT Comcast Cuts


> That is not the reason and we both know it. We paying thru the nose for
> programming fees and for the failure of broadband to attract people to
> high speed.

Agreed.  But where is Comcast suppose to cut?  The capital costs of digital
and broadband are sunk.  The money has been spent.  What programming costs
would you have them eliminate?  My guess is that Comcast decided that this
cut would save the most money and cost them the fewest customers.

> The new Comcast assumed $23 billion in debt when they took over ATT.

The money has been spent.  As it turns out, it was a bad business decision
to make all those upgrades but it has been done and the debt has to be paid.

> Local is one way to compete with the dishes and all this will do is
> drive more people away.

We'll see.  If you're right, Comcast will pay the price.

Isn't such a local news operation fairly unusual in cable?

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine