The Monopolies get monopolier -- TWC buysout Comcast (1 Viewer)

[Shadowfax]

Cable monopolies are such a crock of ####. How this kind of merger is allowed I'll never know.

They aren't competitors so I don't see the problem.

It gives them too much control over what content would be available on TV (and there could be issues with other content providers since Comcast owns NBCUniversal).

Then add in that Comcast would be the largest broadband provider and supposedly control half of the triple play services...once again too much control. Prices would increase and they could restrict how much web (content and data) you use. I believe they already have a data cap each month, while TWC doesn't.

I'm sure they are many other angles most don't even know about. This is bad for everyone except Comcast.

 

[DrJ]

Comcast is evil.

 

[Da Guru]

What has worked for me when all else fails I ask "When am I paid up till?" " They say March 5th or whatever" I then just say "Ok on March 5th I want everything disconnected" That is when I am transferred to a couple of different people up the chain. The thing that sucks is that I really do not want to leave Comcast. I am so used to the DVR and channels and love their HS internet.

Don't waste your time talking to anyone besides the cancellation dept. Immediately say you want to cancel and they'll transfer you to someone who can help you.

best advice is that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Be nice & retention will probably really help you out. Be a jackass & probably not so much. Remember when you call they see every time you've called previously & why you did.

Exactly. I always say how much I love Comcast and really don`t want to leave but at the time the bill is just too much for the amount of TV I watch.

 

[modogg]

For some reason I just have a feeling this merger gets blocked.

Possibly, but I'm not so sure. Here is market share on cable companies: http://www.ncta.com/industry-data/item/217#.UTYWcjvjEhk (click on table).

Comcast is #1 by a smidge over DirectTV, and while TWC would clearly strengthen the #1 position, customers still have the option to go with DirectTV or Dish. Probably will come down to whether regulators believe that DirectTV/Dish are reachable in enough communities (satellite capability) to enable sufficient competition..

Not if you live in the Philadelphia area and ever want to watch the Phillies, Sixers, or Flyers. They do not give the signal to their sports channel to D* in at least (AFAIK) Philadelphia and Houston markets. That is absolutely utilizing monopoly power.

Comcast has had us by the balls for awhile, but at least they are pouring money back into the city with their HQ here and building their new building here too

 

[Long Ball Larry]

For some reason I just have a feeling this merger gets blocked.

Possibly, but I'm not so sure. Here is market share on cable companies: http://www.ncta.com/industry-data/item/217#.UTYWcjvjEhk (click on table).

Comcast is #1 by a smidge over DirectTV, and while TWC would clearly strengthen the #1 position, customers still have the option to go with DirectTV or Dish. Probably will come down to whether regulators believe that DirectTV/Dish are reachable in enough communities (satellite capability) to enable sufficient competition..

Your graph doesn't appear for me, but there's certainly an argument that Comcast and TWC are in a different business, being ISPs (unless there's something I don't know about the satellite companies).

 

[HellToupee]

Comcast is evil.

I feel that way about Verizon. The devil .

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I don't see why this is a huge issue in that they don't service the same people. If you want to complain about there being no ability to choose which cable company rapes you monthly then sign me up.

While they don't compete directly against each other in the individual market, they compete against each other in the city-wide market. You may not have a choice of which cable company you get service from, but, Topeka, Kansas as a whole does.

Plus, as separate entities, doesn't each have to worry about the other possibly coming into their market?

I don't know how the territorial rights work, as most of the Philadelphia area has at least 2, if not 3 cable/internet/phone providers.

 

[AAABatteries]

If Comcast stock rises on news of the deal, the price could go up, while if the stock falls, it could go down.

Brilliant!

Eminence?

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

I have TWC and hate this company with the fire of a thousand suns. I pay 195/month for cable TV, internet (extra 10/month for "turbo"), and cable phone. Internet goes down multiple times a year, lose phone service on occasion, and their customer service is absolutely terrible and an exercise in frustration.

I lost phone and internet last July 3rd. I understand the 4th was a holiday but they couldn't get a technician out until July 7th! No internet or phone service for 4 days. Then when they came out the tech gave me a new modem (which I pay a monthly rental fee for) that had built-in wifi, which I found out later apparently interferes with my wireless router. So after that was installed I then had constant internet problems, had to call customer service (when I was told new modem was causing problems) and spent several hours on multiple calls as I was walked through trying to fix it on my own (enabling and disabling various things on my computer). You'd think the tech who brought the new modem would have realized it would cause problems. Grrrrr. I still have TWC though we've talked about dropping it for direct tv. Haven't yet, mostly because of the hassle in doing so and getting mixed reviews on direct tv from friends and family. I've got to at least call and get my bill lowered, my parents have the exact same package and pay 75 bucks a month less.

 

[krista4]

For some reason I just have a feeling this merger gets blocked.

Possibly, but I'm not so sure. Here is market share on cable companies: http://www.ncta.com/industry-data/item/217#.UTYWcjvjEhk (click on table).

Comcast is #1 by a smidge over DirectTV, and while TWC would clearly strengthen the #1 position, customers still have the option to go with DirectTV or Dish. Probably will come down to whether regulators believe that DirectTV/Dish are reachable in enough communities (satellite capability) to enable sufficient competition..

Your graph doesn't appear for me, but there's certainly an argument that Comcast and TWC are in a different business, being ISPs (unless there's something I don't know about the satellite companies).

The FTC and the DOJ will generally look at the smallest possible definable market, while the companies looking for approval will usually argue for a larger market so that their shares will appear smaller (there are exceptions). A lot of the analysis will center on "switching", and in that sense it does seem that a consumer will often evidence switching tendencies across the cable and satellite markets. I'm sure the regulators have looked at these markets in the past and that Comcast/TWC have prepared arguments based on switching practices.

The regional distinctions are also compelling in considering an anti-trust action, and in this case that favors the allowing the merger. That's not to say they will ultimately be successful; it should be an interesting one. They clearly contemplate a "Second Request" since they've stated they won't close until the end of the year; that tells you that they anticipate a very thorough review.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

For some reason I just have a feeling this merger gets blocked.

Possibly, but I'm not so sure. Here is market share on cable companies: http://www.ncta.com/industry-data/item/217#.UTYWcjvjEhk (click on table).

Comcast is #1 by a smidge over DirectTV, and while TWC would clearly strengthen the #1 position, customers still have the option to go with DirectTV or Dish. Probably will come down to whether regulators believe that DirectTV/Dish are reachable in enough communities (satellite capability) to enable sufficient competition..

Your graph doesn't appear for me, but there's certainly an argument that Comcast and TWC are in a different business, being ISPs (unless there's something I don't know about the satellite companies).

The FTC and the DOJ will generally look at the smallest possible definable market, while the companies looking for approval will usually argue for a larger market so that their shares will appear smaller (there are exceptions). A lot of the analysis will center on "switching", and in that sense it does seem that a consumer will often evidence switching tendencies across the cable and satellite markets. I'm sure the regulators have looked at these markets in the past and that Comcast/TWC have prepared arguments based on switching practices.

The regional distinctions are also compelling in considering an anti-trust action, and in this case that favors the allowing the merger. That's not to say they will ultimately be successful; it should be an interesting one. They clearly contemplate a "Second Request" since they've stated they won't close until the end of the year; that tells you that they anticipate a very thorough review.

I was just going to say that . . .

Thanks. It definitely should be an interesting case.

 

[Run It Up]

who is buying who?

Comcast is buying Time Warner Cable.

so twc is not buying out Comcast?

Full disclosure, I'm an idiot and hastily posted this at 10:30 at night. Also can't edit thread titles.

 

[Courtjester]

What has worked for me when all else fails I ask "When am I paid up till?" " They say March 5th or whatever" I then just say "Ok on March 5th I want everything disconnected" That is when I am transferred to a couple of different people up the chain. The thing that sucks is that I really do not want to leave Comcast. I am so used to the DVR and channels and love their HS internet.

Don't waste your time talking to anyone besides the cancellation dept. Immediately say you want to cancel and they'll transfer you to someone who can help you.

best advice is that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Be nice & retention will probably really help you out. Be a jackass & probably not so much. Remember when you call they see every time you've called previously & why you did.

Exactly. I always say how much I love Comcast and really don`t want to leave but at the time the bill is just too much for the amount of TV I watch.

Yep, this is exactly how I do it. I go on and on about how good they are and I love them, but my evil wife wants us to cut corners and she MADE me call and fix this. It always works.

Like I mentioned earlier, my promo is up next month and so I am going to do all I can to get back into another package. We have their blast internet tier, but I want faster....

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Comcast is evil.

My comcast favorites list has 666 channels.

 

[Sarnoff]

Also can't edit thread titles.

Why not?

 

[17seconds]

Comcast Internet is fast and their alarm system has been a good addition for my family. Their customer service is :X

Every cable company should get out of TV and just do internet. It would change our entire society.

 

[DrJ]

Comcast is evil.

I feel that way about Verizon. The devil .

Comcast is evil.

I feel that way about Verizon. The devil .

Yeah, Verizon blows too. The only thing I like about either of these companies is when they send people out to solicit our neighborhood so I can #### with them. It's amazing how persistent they'll be despite you telling them how much you hate their organization.

 

[Mr.Pack]

All you TW folk out there here's what you are getting into: I have 2 HD cable boxes with DVR, HBO and Showtime, sports package that has NFL Network, Big10 network and some other sports stuff, and internet with Comcast. The service is actually pretty decent, they add new features from time to time, everything works well.

My bill is about $170 and that's with calling them up and haggling for about 20 minutes every 3-6 months as the bill always seems to creep up to around $200.

Seems crazy to me but it is what it is.

I have all that with DirecTV for about $70/mo, add in my $34/mo internet from TW and I'm paying roughly $105/mo.

I have TWC and hate this company with the fire of a thousand suns. I pay 195/month for cable TV, internet (extra 10/month for "turbo"), and cable phone. Internet goes down multiple times a year, lose phone service on occasion, and their customer service is absolutely terrible and an exercise in frustration.

I lost phone and internet last July 3rd. I understand the 4th was a holiday but they couldn't get a technician out until July 7th! No internet or phone service for 4 days. Then when they came out the tech gave me a new modem (which I pay a monthly rental fee for) that had built-in wifi, which I found out later apparently interferes with my wireless router. So after that was installed I then had constant internet problems, had to call customer service (when I was told new modem was causing problems) and spent several hours on multiple calls as I was walked through trying to fix it on my own (enabling and disabling various things on my computer). You'd think the tech who brought the new modem would have realized it would cause problems. Grrrrr. I still have TWC though we've talked about dropping it for direct tv. Haven't yet, mostly because of the hassle in doing so and getting mixed reviews on direct tv from friends and family. I've got to at least call and get my bill lowered, my parents have the exact same package and pay 75 bucks a month less.

Seriously, make the change.

Yea it goes out during storms, but not for long, and my TWC went out 3 times in 3 weeks in PERFECT weather. Plus the features outweigh the negatives.

I chucked my phone service as well with TWC and went with Ooma. $3-$4/mo is a nice bill for unlimited calling.

 

[rascal]

Uverse is awesome. That is all.

 

[Sand]

Comcast shares down $2 right now. <--comcast shareholder

same here , down 3.77%

That is typical of these type mergers/buyouts. The smaller company (though TWC isn't really that small) goes up while the major partner declines.

 

[The Big Guy]

I have come to the decision that cable/internet is all about the devil you know vs the fabulous life you think all the other companies provide. Truth is that they all suck.

 

[Sarnoff]

I've never had an issue with TWC, for cable, internet, or home security

The only thing that's ever come up is when the got NFL redzone and put it on the "sports" tier, used to be you got 1 free tier (movies/sports/educational/spanish/etc/ each with 10-12 premium channels in that theme) with your package (each extra tier past the first was another $6/month or so). First year they had NFL redzone, I switched from "movies" to "sports" no problem. As soon as the season ended, I switched back to "movies", again no problem. Second year, they'd changed the "sports" tier to add-on service, it was no longer a 'free' option. So if I wanted "sports" I'd have to pay $9 for it, but I could keep movies for free. I asked if they could just take off movies, add sports, and charge me the $3 difference, they said no. I complained a bit, and the guy said 'hang on, we actually have a promotion I could sign you up for', gave me sports tier free and then took $5/month off my cable bill. So instead of me paying them $8 more a month for NFL network, they were paying me $5 a month to watch it. Deal was good for a year so I don't even have to bring it up again until next preseason. This was on top of my discounts for bundling other services into it.

So I've got a hundred channels or more of basic cable & all in HD, 12 flavors of Encore/Sundance/IFC (in HD), 12 sports channels (Fox Sports West/NFL Netwk/Aussie Football & Rugby/CBS-Sports/etc), they just added free NBC-sports on the basic system for the Olympics, my own DVR (I own a TiVo with a lifetime membership and only have to pay TWC for 1 cable-card which gets me 2 channels at a time to watch/record), high-speed internet which has never been a problem, and 24/7 monitoring of my home security system with door entry & motion detectors (also programmable over the internet so I can check in from my phone or office) for like $125/month.

 

[dal_boys_phan]

Slightly off-topic, FiOS user here. Love it, so if it is available in your area, helps to keep the cable provider cost in sight of $100/month.

Three plus years ago, sIgned up on the "$79 a month" plan, which after all fees, taxes, and add-ons (like $4.99 for each cable card...) gets me to $125ish for my Internet (55-60 up/35-40 down), FiOS Ultimate with HBO and Showtime, and home phone. My bill is slightly lower than most will be able to get to because I own my three TiVo's that have lifetime service, so I don't get hit with their DVR fees (I save about $20 a month, so the payoff period on two of the three TiVo's has passed).

Best move: when my last FiOS promo ended about a year ago (bumping the bill up about $35-40), put the service in my wife's name which generated a $300 prepaid Visa and brought us back down to the levels above. Google it and you will see that Verizon sometimes suggests this move when people call up to get the promo rates back on their account. In another year, we will move the service back to my name. Rinse and repeat.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Did I really see a shadowfax post in this thread?

 

[bentley]

Time Warner purchased our local cable provider here decades ago. While trying to remember the name of the company, I ran across this story. While not particularly relevant, it was funny.

AUSTIN CABLEVISION PRESIDENT INVESTIGATED

AUSTIN, TEXAS(AP) - A cable television president accused of cutting off a police network line for sending fingerprints after police arrested him for drunken driving has been placed on leave, the company said. City communication services director Glenn Cootes said Monday he was notified by Austin CableVision vice president Phil Knudsen that Billie Ross Thomison had been relieved of his duties.

According to police, Thomison ordered the cable station to shut off a channel that sends fingerprints between police headquarters downtown and a north side substation following his arrest on a DWI charge.

 

[Slapdash]

Cable monopolies are such a crock of ####. How this kind of merger is allowed I'll never know.

They aren't competitors so I don't see the problem.

It gives them too much control over what content would be available on TV (and there could be issues with other content providers since Comcast owns NBCUniversal).

Then add in that Comcast would be the largest broadband provider and supposedly control half of the triple play services...once again too much control. Prices would increase and they could restrict how much web (content and data) you use. I believe they already have a data cap each month, while TWC doesn't.

I'm sure they are many other angles most don't even know about. This is bad for everyone except Comcast.

Against the consolidation in general, but that sounds like really bad news for TWC users.

 

[(HULK)]

This isn't approved right? I can't imagine it will be.

 

[Rayderr]

This isn't approved right? I can't imagine it will be.

Has to be approved by the TWC stock holders. Don't see any reason from their vantage point why they wouldn't say yes.

 

[(HULK)]

No, I meant by the government. This is clearly a monopolistic merger.

 

[Rayderr]

No, I meant by the government. This is clearly a monopolistic merger.

It does, but I'm having trouble seeing it not get approved. While it would make them the largest provider of TV and Internet services, they would still only have about 30% of the customers.

 

[Al Czervik]

Thought this was an interesting article on the merger:

http://gizmodo.com/why-the-comcast-time-warner-cable-merger-is-even-worse-1522096469

Will It Go Through?A Comcast-TWC tie-up seems so aggressive, so distasteful, so monopolistic that there surely must be someone who can stop it. And there is! That someone is the FCC, which needs to approve the deal before it goes through. Unfortunately, it probably won't.

Remember, Comcast and TWC are not in direct competition in most markets, which makes it an easier sell. Or rather, it gives the FCC a ready excuse, if it's looking for one. Which it almost certainly will be; one of the cable industry's top lobbyists used to be an FCC chairman.

 

[(HULK)]

I hate lobbyists. All of them.

 

[Rayderr]

Personally, I think the bigger issue is the cable providers also being owners of cable (and subsequently broadcast) channels. What's really to prevent Comcast from taking all their channels (NBC, MLB Network, E!, etc.) away from cable providers in areas where they do compete to basically force customers onto their system.

 

[Sarnoff]

FCC approval is one thing, but this also needs FTC and DOJ approval, right?

 

[Rayderr]

FCC approval is one thing, but this also needs FTC and DOJ approval, right?

Only 1 of those 2 will get to rule on it.

 

[krista4]

FCC approval is one thing, but this also needs FTC and DOJ approval, right?

Only 1 of those 2 will get to rule on it.

Exactly. FCC is a totally different thing since it's communications, but as to the anti-trust implications, it will be either the FTC or the DOJ.

 

[DrJ]

Uverse is awesome. That is all.

Love their internet, hate their TV. I haven't tried it in a couple years now, but last time I used it they were compressing HD channels so heavily that sports were pretty unwatchable to me.

 

[Rayderr]

Uverse is awesome. That is all.

Love their internet, hate their TV. I haven't tried it in a couple years now, but last time I used it they were compressing HD channels so heavily that sports were pretty unwatchable to me.

I think that's what my inlaws has. Where the HD and SD channels are like 500 channels away from each other? So if you want to watch local channel 4 in HD, you can't just enter "4" as that's SD, but instead some stupid number like 512.

 

[Rayderr]

FCC approval is one thing, but this also needs FTC and DOJ approval, right?

Only 1 of those 2 will get to rule on it.

Exactly. FCC is a totally different thing since it's communications, but as to the anti-trust implications, it will be either the FTC or the DOJ.

I'm guessing DOJ is going to claim it. It'll be easier to make sure the political donors are happy (Both Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been big Obama//Democrat donors in recent elections.)

 

[krista4]

FCC approval is one thing, but this also needs FTC and DOJ approval, right?

Only 1 of those 2 will get to rule on it.

Exactly. FCC is a totally different thing since it's communications, but as to the anti-trust implications, it will be either the FTC or the DOJ.

I'm guessing DOJ is going to claim it. It'll be easier to make sure the political donors are happy (Both Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been big Obama//Democrat donors in recent elections.)

Didn't know that. Will be very interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[Sarnoff]

FCC approval is one thing, but this also needs FTC and DOJ approval, right?

Only 1 of those 2 will get to rule on it.

Exactly. FCC is a totally different thing since it's communications, but as to the anti-trust implications, it will be either the FTC or the DOJ.

I'm guessing DOJ is going to claim it. It'll be easier to make sure the political donors are happy (Both Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been big Obama//Democrat donors in recent elections.)

Well, they were all big donors to both sides in every election. That's the way the game is played, gotta be safe.

 

[Rayderr]

FCC approval is one thing, but this also needs FTC and DOJ approval, right?

Only 1 of those 2 will get to rule on it.

Exactly. FCC is a totally different thing since it's communications, but as to the anti-trust implications, it will be either the FTC or the DOJ.

I'm guessing DOJ is going to claim it. It'll be easier to make sure the political donors are happy (Both Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been big Obama//Democrat donors in recent elections.)

Well, they were all big donors to both sides in every election. That's the way the game is played, gotta be safe.

Most reports I've seen list it as a 65/35 split in favor of Democrats.

 

[Run It Up]

Also can't edit thread titles.

Why not?

Cause im pretty sure you can't edit thread titles after a certain number of posts by the time I got around to noticing my mistake that number of posts had been met.

Now it can only be changed by a moderator.

 

[Sinn Fein]

Terrible time to be buying cable properties IMO. They will follow the slow inevitable decline of newspapers.

 

[culdeus]

Uverse is awesome. That is all.

really?

 

[Rayderr]

Terrible time to be buying cable properties IMO. They will follow the slow inevitable decline of newspapers.

Internet service is included in the deal.

 

[Sarnoff]

Also can't edit thread titles.

Why not?

Cause im pretty sure you can't edit thread titles after a certain number of posts by the time I got around to noticing my mistake that number of posts had been met.

Now it can only be changed by a moderator.

Nah. I just changed a thread title on a thread that was five pages deep.

Just click edit on the first post. Then use the full editor.

 

[FattyVM]

http://qz.com/177549/netflix-is-outdoing-hbo-and-showtime-with-its-buzzy-original-shows/

=\

 

[Mr.Pack]

Uverse is awesome. That is all.

really?

Yea, my brother had it and hated it. Cable sucked and the internet was horrible.

 

[seahawk 17]

I'm laughing at all the people #####ing about different providers, and not doing #### about it.