Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/12/inve...html?hpt=hp_t2


I don't see this being a good thing.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

I don't see this being a good thing *at all*. Anything and everything NBC Universal touches turns to s#!t. See The Weather Channel. Bad. Really bad.

Beyond that, it seems this is going to establish such a huge conglomerate for media *and* distribution that... bad. Really bad. Is this really a no-brainer to be approved by the FCC/etc? Because I can't imagine it is. This creates a ridiculous monopolistic power in cable and network/media...

The Weather Channel and Directv shows how nice NBC plays with other content providers with networks they own.

Lastly, can NBC even afford to do this? If this ends up having some turbulence, well... I imagine NBC is having to put up it's soul to make this deal happen. Obviously they've had a rough go of late, and while it is a huge corporation with infinite properties, I haven't read much recently about positive financial news for the company either - so putting up a blockbuster bid for a blockbuster corporation nearly its equal... seems to me one wrong move and NBC could end up sunk.

Regardless, anything giving the awful company known as NBC Universal more toys to destroy is bad. Really bad. See Weather Channel. Sci-fi... sorry, SyFy!!! Bravo. NBC and Leno, Today Show, primetime, etc etc etc.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

It won't make things better, but I don't really see it making things much worse either.

It is kind of funny at least in my area how things have gone. Back in the 90s, Comcast had a presence in OC, running Fullerton, Anaheim and Santa Ana. Then one day they all just became Adelphia. After a few years, Adelphia went belly up, and Comcast and Time Warner split their territory. Time Warner got got all of the So Cal markets that Adelphia had, so those cities all became TWC. Now they could come full circle and be back in Comcast's hands.

Meanwhile, the city I live in has been Time Warner since the mid 90s, so it'll be an interesting change.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Price hikes and data caps in 3...2...1...

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

The only time I watched the Weather Channel on Directv was when there was a storm locally and of course,Directv never works during a storm so the Weather Channel became useless for me.

More updated weather reports can be found on the internet.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

This will not pass.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Does this affect Bright House cable?

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Those were my thoughts. When you can't beat the competition, buy them. I'm not sure the FTC will allow this merger.

The bigger cable/Internet providers are quickly becoming a critical chokepoint in today's society. Their decision-making unfortunately affects a wide array of issues beyond just their customers.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

For this very reason I think the FTC will knock down at least a part of this merger. If not then yeah, a large portion of the country is screwed.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

what anti trust laws? minus well hand over my paycheck if i want internet access when this passes.

thanks Obama.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Both companies are big Obama and Dem supporters, with Comcast in particular having very close ties to the Obama admin, so I don't expect this to face major regulatory opposition.

I'm a TWC customer and while I'm not thrilled with their service I also know I would be hit by Comcast's datacap if they took over and implemented it here.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

This is the way I see it...

They'll only control 30% of the nation. This isn't going to have any significant antitrust problems.

It will start a bunch of mergers of cable companies (Charter/Cox, etc etc on down the line).

The prices will increase.

The increase in prices will kill these companies all the faster BECAUSE

The alternatives will get better AND

Congress will eventually take action on at least net neutrality and hopefully when there are only basically 4 cable companies left will hopefully force them into quasi-deregulation where they can have a content side and an infrastructure side and the infrastructure side will be highly regulated and open to competition.

That's sort of what I'm hoping for. Aereo has to win their lawsuit for that to be viable, and more online alternative content providers have to come into being/the ones we have need to raise their game.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Aren't they already pretty much monopolies in their respective areas? I don't think I've ever lived in an area where I had multiple cable companies to choose from; it's either one cable company, or go to antenna or satellite.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Right, but there are other ways a monopoly could harm the market. If Comcast did 100% of the cable, they'd be able to squeeze down carriage fees for networks and at the same time increase prices because while there aren't 2 cable companies in most places for any single address, there are enough people who live in a place where they can easily move and get their choice that there is some meaningful competition.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

From one of Comcast's mouthpieces today:

In a conference call with reporters, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts defended the deal, calling it "pro-consumer, pro-competitive and strongly in the public interest."

One can only shake one's head in dis(may-gust-missal). Just about as much the polar opposite of those three categories as possible. I'm genuinely concerned if this moves forward... the tactics Comcast has been pulling with networks they own on other content providers has been a negative both for the cost of cable for consumers and the availability of the networks elsewhere, along with the quality of content they produce.

While Comcast is hardly alone gouging other companies for the networks they own, they're one of the worst... again, see Weather Channel and DirecTV. I shudder to imagine the issues Comcast's added leverage will give them in continuing and increasing those sorts of practices - I also fear for HBO specifically, and what changes/costs Comcast might seek to implement. Worst of all, if this goes forward, it's only the beginning. The other players will respond, will merge, and we'll all suffer for it. I think at the very least a Dish/DirecTV deal is a no-brainer. Verizon might also seek to add a major content provider/network conglomerate - they've become a major player with video/broadband, and now this merger only highlights the disadvantage they've got without any real networks/content producers under their control.

A tiny issue, all things considered, but I have to wonder what this spells for the CW - a 50/50 partnership between Warner and CBS. Whenever the current contract ends I've got to imagine Warner pulls out and does something similar with NBC, simply replacing CBS with Comcast owned NBC. At the very least, ending the CW experiment by not continuing a partnership with what's soon to be one of their major rivals. Just one example, but clearly the ramifications and aftershocks that'll follow in the wake of this deal will be far-reaching and seemingly unending.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Um, no worries about HBO or CW. Time Warner Cable is a distinct company from Time Warner. They only bought cable franchises here, not content.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Both time warner and comcast have the CW on demand? Bright House does not.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

My dream is for Comcast to take over all the cable companies and then go through a spectacular death, just as Blockbuster did.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

The first won't be allowed to happen.

The closest you're going to get to the second is what happened to the phone companies. The cable they own buried underground will always be valuable. The rest of what they do...not so much.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

For all Time Warner customers, get ready for less HD Channels!

I have Com-Crap (sorry I meant Comcast) simply because they have a monopoly in my area because they won't offer Philadelphia Comcast Sportnet to DirecTV, so as a Philly Sports fan I have to go with Comcast.

We are in 2014 and the NBA, NHL and MLB Sports Tickets are not in HD. Thats right it is only offered in grainy, blurry standard like a 1990's TV. But Com-Crap can get away with it because South Jersey/Philadelphia Customers are stuck with them. I also have many problems with my On-Demand as many days it doesn't even work, and when I call I get the same crap, "Turn off your box for 30 seconds and try it now." Which of course it never works.

And also Comcast discontinued the Picture-In-Picture function a few years ago. I loved it as a sports fan, and they told me they would offer it in 2013, needless to say I'm still waiting!

This is what happens when you have a monopoly in this economy and they can get away with all this crap, simply because they know most customers have no alternative. Yet the FCC continues to allow these big mergers???

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Well, it's gonna be interesting regardless. And not in the good way.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

I doubt Comcast would get rid of HD channels on Time Warner, unless it's a channel that they don't have carriage rights for on Comcast. But that's not an HD issue, that would be SD and HD. I remember when Time Warner took over Adelphia here that we lost NFL Network after a couple of months because TWC was in a war with the NFL at the time.

TWC has more HD because of better infrastructure, but really that gap isn't that huge. On TWC we have 2 HD Channels for NHL Center Ice/MLB Extra innings (shared), and one for NBA League Pass. The rest of the games are SD. It's a bandwidth issue on cable, which means for every HD feed they add to one of those premium sports packages, is one they can't add to the general lineup.

That being said, MLB.tv blows MLB Extra Innings out of the water, and it's much cheaper.

Can you not get Verizon FiOS where you live? They have CSN Philly from what I've heard. Also, Comcast is now being forced to offer it to Dish/DirecTV, but that doesn't mean they have to take the deal. Time Warner's gonna have a fight to get the Dodger Station carried, just like they did with the Laker channel.

I'm not trying to defend Comcast here, anymore than I would TWC. All these companies are greedy dinosaurs trying to remain relevant in a changing world.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

if there is no more Arrow, Reign and Vampire Diaries, the streets will run red with the blood of the non believers.

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

Competition is good for consumers. Which is why corporations will seek to quash it at every given opportunity. (And it's why there will never be a true free market - 0.002 seconds after all government intervention is lifted, monopolies will form in every sector.)

Re: Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable
 

FIOS is only available in certain areas in South Jersey, as Comcast has fought tooth and nail to stop them from infiltrating the Philadelphia area. Once FIOS started becoming available in certain areas that is when all of the sudden we started getting more HD Channels from Comcast (The NHL, NBA and MLB are ALL HD for FIOS). But FIOS has not been able to become available in 100% of the region, and that is why I believe Comcast has not made a better effort to get more HD Channels to their consumers

The bottom line is every consumer in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area should be able to get either DirecTV or DISH Network with ComcastSportsnet, FIOS or Comcast, as that would atleast get some competition going in this area. Right now DirecTV is irrelevant if you are a Philly sports fan, and FIOS is only available in a limited amount of towns.