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Smokey
02-14-2014, 08:01 PM
Comcast Feb. 13 announced it has agreed to buy Time Warner Cable for approximately $45.2 billion, a merger that would combine the two largest domestic cable companies with more than 30 million video subscribers. The two companies aim to close the deal by the end of the year.

The deal would create a cable operator of unprecedented proportions. As of the end of 2013, Comcast had 21.7 million video subscribers, , while Time Warner Cable reported it had 11.2 million video subscribers.

Comcast's buyout of Time Warner Cable was quickly panned by Craig Aaron, president and CEO of the public advocacy group Free Press, who called it “a disaster for consumers.”

"This deal would give Comcast control of more than a third of the U.S. pay-TV market and more than half of the U.S. triple-play market for video, voice and Internet service,” he said in a statement. “Comcast will have unprecedented market power over consumers and an unprecedented ability to exert its influence over any channels or businesses that want to reach Comcast's customers.”

He called on the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission to “do their jobs and block this merger. Stopping this kind of deal is exactly why we have antitrust laws.”

Despite some concerns about the top two cablers in the country combining operations, regulatory objections could be few, according to Collins. He said any complaints from media companies and broadcasters regarding anti competitive issues would be largely dismissed.

Comcast to Acquire Time Warner Cable | Home Media Magazine (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/cable/comcast-acquire-time-warner-cable-32570)

TheHills44060
02-17-2014, 06:24 AM
I have time warner for my internet service so we'll have to see how this shakes out. I got rid of cable last year and haven't missed it at all.

Smokey
02-17-2014, 09:24 PM
I have time warner for my internet service so we'll have to see how this shakes out. I got rid of cable last year and haven't missed it at all.Comcast probably throw some promotions for you/warner customers, and then back to reguler schedule pricing :)

Sir Terrence the Terrible
02-18-2014, 04:17 PM
In the history of bad ideas thrown on consumers, this is epic. The fact that it will pass regulatory scrutiny shows that corporation have far more power over the regulatory process than consumer do.

Feanor
02-19-2014, 04:59 AM
In the history of bad ideas thrown on consumers, this is epic. The fact that it will pass regulatory scrutiny shows that corporation have far more power over the regulatory process than consumer do.
Concentration of power in content delivery is a very, very bad thing for consumers. I hope US corporation are unsuccessful in their attempt to achieve a Canadian-like situation where only two companies dominate the the market.

In most of Canada that is two companies: Rogers and Bell Canada. They DO NOT compete with each other on price, type or quality of product, or quality of service. Their really only competition in advertising and "packaging", i.e. complicated bundles of services that make it difficult to compare offerings between the two.

I feel I being screwed over -- and over and over -- by these outfits. I pay Bell C$96/mo. for semi-inclusive satellite TV and Rogers (an astounding) $108/mo. for high-speed internet. It's a gouge. I continually think of discontinuing the TV service at least; I haven't so far because I'm a real-time news junkie.

TheHills44060
02-19-2014, 06:07 AM
Yikes Feanor those prices are pretty rough. Other than sporting events I don't miss television at all.

Smokey
02-19-2014, 07:38 PM
In the history of bad ideas thrown on consumers, this is epic. The fact that it will pass regulatory scrutiny shows that corporation have far more power over the regulatory process than consumer do.

Rumer has it that if Comcast and Warner deal goes throu, DirectTV and Dish satellite companies might merge too.


I continually think of discontinuing the TV service at least; I haven't so far because I'm a real-time news junkie.

Go head and cut the cord. Like noddinoff, I cut the cable cord years ago and haven't look back. Just think how many movies and music on discs you can buy with subscription money you save just in one month :)