CABLE MARKET POWER FOR DUMMIES

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        [Dewayne-Net] CABLE MARKET POWER FOR DUMMIES
Date:   Fri, 03 Feb 2006 09:26:51 -0800
From:   Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Reply-To:       dewayne () warpspeed com
To:     Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>



CABLE MARKET POWER FOR DUMMIES
[SOURCE: Tales from the Sausage Factory, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]

[Commentary] Most folks outside of Washington DC still find their  
cable company an obnoxious monopoly, despite the presence of  
competitors like DirecTV, Dish Network, and the occasional  
overbuilder like RCN. But, despite the fact that customers express  
far more satisfaction with satellite and overbuilder service, most  
folks remain subscribed to cable. What gives? And how does cable get  
away with raising prices and favoring affiliated programming in the  
face of this “vigorous competition.” Needless to say, the cable folks  
respond with a host of fancy economic papers that they file with the  
FCC and present to members of Congress. My own impression, having  
spoken with a number of economists, is that the cable companies use  
economics the same way Creationists use intelligent design. The point  
isn't to engage in real scientific inquiry. The point is to throw  
enough scientific sounding stuff out there to confuse the issue and  
make people believe there are two equally valid sides to the debate.  
My problem is that the FCC and Congress usually end up playing the  
Dover School District Board rather than Judge Jones.

<http://www.wetmachine.com//item/422>


Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>


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