GNG News Guy
11-29-2007, 09:18 AM
http://i.dslr.net/urls/90/13090.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Moves-To-Block-Comcast-Growth-89809)
With FCC chief Kevin Martin's plan to regulate the cable industry all but scrapped (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/Late-Night-Fun-At-The-FCC-89781) on Tuesday night, the FCC boss yesterday tried another option. He proposed a rule that would cap Comcast's growth at thirty percent of the TV market. Cable views this as asymmetrical regulatory policy, given that AT&T's merger with BellSouth created the largest broadband provider in the industry, with Martin barely batting an eyelash. From the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/business/media/29cable.html?ref=business):Officials said that Mr. Martin notified other commissioners this week of the agenda for the agency s next formal meeting on Dec. 18, and that it included a vote on his proposal to prohibit a cable company from controlling more than 30 percent of the market. Comcast is at about that level.
Martin has convinced the press he's waging war on cable because the former Cheney aide is just really concerned about TV prices. Yet TV rates continue to rise (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/89597) despite Verizon and AT&T's entry into the market, and the FCC boss has certainly shown he's no consumer advocate. Martin could care less about your cable bill; his primary goal is to help powerful political allies (aka AT&T and Verizon) solidify their telcoTV business models (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/89456).
The question then becomes, is Martin still doing a good thing by capping Comcast's growth, even if his intentions are not particularly noble?
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Moves-To-Block-Comcast-Growth-89809)
With FCC chief Kevin Martin's plan to regulate the cable industry all but scrapped (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/Late-Night-Fun-At-The-FCC-89781) on Tuesday night, the FCC boss yesterday tried another option. He proposed a rule that would cap Comcast's growth at thirty percent of the TV market. Cable views this as asymmetrical regulatory policy, given that AT&T's merger with BellSouth created the largest broadband provider in the industry, with Martin barely batting an eyelash. From the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/business/media/29cable.html?ref=business):Officials said that Mr. Martin notified other commissioners this week of the agenda for the agency s next formal meeting on Dec. 18, and that it included a vote on his proposal to prohibit a cable company from controlling more than 30 percent of the market. Comcast is at about that level.
Martin has convinced the press he's waging war on cable because the former Cheney aide is just really concerned about TV prices. Yet TV rates continue to rise (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/89597) despite Verizon and AT&T's entry into the market, and the FCC boss has certainly shown he's no consumer advocate. Martin could care less about your cable bill; his primary goal is to help powerful political allies (aka AT&T and Verizon) solidify their telcoTV business models (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/89456).
The question then becomes, is Martin still doing a good thing by capping Comcast's growth, even if his intentions are not particularly noble?
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Moves-To-Block-Comcast-Growth-89809)