[TXSTYLE]

Talk about horrific on a epic scale for U.S. consumers!

Wow... 2 of the fokin WORST companies merging and severely limiting your and my option to watch what we want and put a stranglehold on their already shitty ass internet speeds! Yeah!!! Woo-Hoo!!!

One thing is certain about Comcast’s proposed $45 billion merger with Time Warner Cable: It doesn’t pass the smell test. Comcast claims that the combination of the number one and number two cable companies will somehow enhance rather than diminish competition and lead to greater consumer satisfaction. Don’t worry, Godzilla will play nice on the playground.

The resulting company would have at least 30 million cable customers, just under 30 percent of the TV market, as well as 38 percent of high-speed Internet customers. It will have virtual monopoly cable control over news and public service programming in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C. It will be able to exact price concessions from content providers, forcing some out of business, limiting innovation and variety. With net neutrality rules now under assault, it will be positioned to charge discriminatory rates for high-speed access or to discriminate against Netflix and other companies seeking to stream over its cable. And Comcast will be in position to decide what gets priority access and what viewers across much of the nation won’t see.

Comcast is just digesting its previous mega-merger, the takeover of NBC Universal that should have been blocked by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). That leaves Comcast controlling an empire that includes NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA Network, Telemundo and other networks.

Here the merger doesn’t just impact the marketplace of cable; it threatens the marketplace of ideas. The protection of free speech under our Constitution depends on citizens having access to many ideas, many sources, many ways of getting ideas and information. Letting mega-corporations consolidate control of key parts of the media infrastructure is a direct threat to that access.

In addition, consumers surely will get fleeced if the merger goes through. America already suffers from worse Internet service, speed and affordability than other developed countries. As Craig Aaron, president of the consumer advocacy group Free Press, summarized: “No one woke up this morning wishing their cable company was bigger. This deal would be the cable guy on steroids — pumped up, unstoppable and grasping for your wallet.”

Comcast is already infamous for its lousy customer service. Among the most visible companies, Comcast ranks down with BP, AIG and Bank of America as one of the 10 least reputable companies in the United States, according to Harris Interactive’s annual “Reputation Quotient” survey. In the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, Comcast had the fourth-worst consumer satisfaction in the country.

On its face, this is a preposterous merger and a threat to the marketplace of ideas. Former FCC Commissioner Mike Copps is precisely right when he says of the takeover: “This is so over the top that it ought to be dead on arrival at the FCC!”

Only don’t discount what may be Comcast’s greatest strength. Its wireless is slow; its cable service lousy. But Comcast is wired politically. Its chief executive, Brian Roberts, has golfed with President Obama on Martha’s Vineyard. Its chief lobbyist, David L. Cohen, raised $1.2 million for the president in a Philadelphia fundraiser in 2011.

And Comcast is a poster child for Washington’s corrupting revolving door. One of its lead lobbyists – officially the senior vice president for government affairs of its subsidiary NBC Universal — is Meredith Attwell Baker. Appointed by President Obama to hold a Republican seat on the FCC, she voted to approve Comcast’s takeover of NBC and then joined the newly merged company a mere four months later after only serving two years of her five-year term.

The door revolves the other way, too. William Baer, who recently became head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, represented General Electric and NBC Universal in their deal with Comcast. Maureen Ohlhausen, one of four sitting commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission, which is charged with enforcing antitrust laws, provided legal counsel to Comcast before assuming her post.

So blocking the merger, which should be a no-brainer, will require an aroused public opposition. Consumer groups and media watchdogs as well as progressive groups are mobilizing to oppose the merger. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has announced his opposition and vowed to review the city’s franchise agreement with Comcast. Other mayors should follow his example. Sen. Al Franken, who has been a stalwart guardian of free speech, has already raised objections in a letter to the FCC and the Justice Department.

The United States already has suffered the ravages of “too big to fail” banks, curbed neither by market nor by law. The last thing we need is consolidated communications monopolies, constricting the marketplace of ideas while gouging captured consumers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...31e_story.html

[squishy]

TL;DR version?

[KingOfJericho]

Cable TV is a local monopoly anyway and there are alternatives like FiOS and U-Verse.

[KwlAznKid]

heard bout this on the news.. yep this is bad

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Cable TV is a local monopoly anyway and there are alternatives like FiOS and U-Verse.

I wish we had those options out here. Our only choices for TV service are Comcast, Dish Network, and Direct TV. I've decided that once this season of Walking Dead is over, I'm going to dump my Comcast cable TV and keep internet service only. From then on I'll use Netflix, Hulu, and an HD antenna for local broadcasts.

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

I wish we had those options out here. Our only choices for TV service are Comcast, Dish Network, and Direct TV. I've decided that once this season of Walking Dead is over, I'm going to dump my Comcast cable TV and keep internet service only. From then on I'll use Netflix, Hulu, and an HD antenna for local broadcasts.

Great point. And nice thinking.

The thing is that most folks only think of Comcast and Time Warner as 'cable and internet providers'. Comcast in fact has much grander plans in mind if you read the article I posted: They own much of the internet infrastructure and will gobble up even more so eventually they can either streamline or limit whatever content even online to your computer! So Netflix and Hulu are great examples! You better believe Comcast is working on their very own 'streaming media content' and will want it to be your first choice.

[TXSTYLE]

It has begun... http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/T...-TV-Fee-127822

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by TXSTYLE

Great point. And nice thinking.

The thing is that most folks only think of Comcast and Time Warner as 'cable and internet providers'. Comcast in fact has much grander plans in mind if you read the article I posted: They own much of the internet infrastructure and will gobble up even more so eventually they can either streamline or limit whatever content even online to your computer! So Netflix and Hulu are great examples! You better believe Comcast is working on their very own 'streaming media content' and will want it to be your first choice.

I certainly believe it, though it really can only happen if net neutrality somehow gets completely thrown out allowing ISP's to throttle, censor, block, and manipulate internet traffic for their benefit. If that does come to fruition, it will be a sad and scary day indeed. I know the Netflix long term game plan is to eventually stop mailing physical media and to get all of their content available for streaming. If net neutrality goes away and ISP's begin to throttle or limit Netflix streaming traffic over their networks, maybe we'll see Netflix customers stop streaming and rely solely on the mail service to prove a point.

[NemesisX]

Time Warner has provided awful, spotty internet service for as long as I can remember. I can't wait until google fiber comes to Austin.

[Devious21]

Originally Posted by NemesisX

Time Warner has provided awful, spotty internet service for as long as I can remember. I can't wait until google fiber comes to Austin.

Really hoping Google sets up shop in our neck of the woods too. Comcast is like a giant sinking ship.

[Nate4641]

I was just talking about this with someone the other day. Didn't something similar happen with phone providers awhile ago and it became a monopoly? The gentleman I was talking to said the government stepped in because it got to the point that there wasn't any competition to provide motivation to created better services.

The U.S. internet speeds are already really low compared to other developed internet using countries.

[Devious21]

Originally Posted by Nate4641

I was just talking about this with someone the other day. Didn't something similar happen with phone providers awhile ago and it became a monopoly? The gentleman I was talking to said the government stepped in because it got to the point that there wasn't any competition to provide motivation to created better services.

The U.S. internet speeds are already really low compared to other developed internet using countries.

I think you're referring to AT&T and the baby bells.

[Crimson92]

Xbmc and 1channel.

You're welcome.

[Vic311]

[bimmerfrk]

I live in Brooklyn and have optimum. For 65.00 I get 110mb down and 15mb up. I have friends in Manhattan who have time warner and pay about the same for a shity 5mb down and 3mb up and that's the seldom times the connection is working.

God help you if you have one of these to merging companies.


If you are in NYC area optimum is the best for the price. Not even fios comes close.

[Fifty3bags]

I hate how companies monopolize things like this. In my apartment complex there is only one cable company that can be used because they signed an exclusivity contract. And they don't even give the residents a discounted rate because of this, and I'm stuck with crappy internet and cable for ridiculous payments IMO

[Arsonism]

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

I know the Netflix long term game plan is to eventually stop mailing physical media and to get all of their content available for streaming. If net neutrality goes away and ISP's begin to throttle or limit Netflix streaming traffic over their networks, maybe we'll see Netflix customers stop streaming and rely solely on the mail service to prove a point.

They already outsource their mailing services. I believe they made that decision and commitment about a two years ago (maybe 3)? Sometime right before I was sent of for training.


Right now I'm receiving 300/300 by fiber from ATT. Their living up to it so far. I think they'll still have some swift competition. But ATT seems to have a greater monopoly in mind that squishes the competition.

But this is still a serious concern.

[persian54]

Originally Posted by Skiddish

They already outsource their mailing services. I believe they made that decision and commitment about a two years ago (maybe 3)? Sometime right before I was sent of for training.


Right now I'm receiving 300/300 by fiber from ATT. Their living up to it so far. I think they'll still have some swift competition. But ATT seems to have a greater monopoly in mind that squishes the competition.

But this is still a serious concern.

The most ATT was able to offer me in my area was 24

Main reason I'm with TWC is: International One price + 50/5. they have a 100 option, but I don't feel like paying even more…

[Billup]

Originally Posted by Fifty3bags

I hate how companies monopolize things like this. In my apartment complex there is only one cable company that can be used because they signed an exclusivity contract. And they don't even give the residents a discounted rate because of this, and I'm stuck with crappy internet and cable for ridiculous payments IMO

I'm right there with you on this one. Got an email from TWC this weekend saying they made the merger with Comcast. My only other choice would be Dish Network, and from my experience with them in MI, I'd never try that route ever again. So now I'm stuck with TWC.

[P1]

I've been with Time Warner Cable for many years and frankly don't have a complaint. Internet uptime is great, so is TV. I actually find that when I compare the quality of my HD programming with that of my friends (who are all AT&T), I prefer TWC.

AT&T is the best alternative for me here locally. I don't watch much TV and am more concerned about good internet connectivity, but AT&T is slower than TWC.

Google Fiber is coming, but since I don't trust Google, I'm not exactly jumping up and down over this. My hopes are that AT&T or TWC will have to adjust their pricing accordingly, and I'll take advantage of that.

[Templar]

For the year or so I had TWC, I had no complaints. I moved and no longer have cable internet available. I continue to have DIRECTV and have no issues with them. I have horrible DSL internet by a local company that sucks, but it's my only option...

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by Templar

For the year or so I had TWC, I had no complaints. I moved and no longer have cable internet available. I continue to have DIRECTV and have no issues with them. I have horrible DSL internet by a local company that sucks, but it's my only option...

You must live in the sticks! Even my dads cabin in the Adirondacks can get cable...