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Comcast: Nobody 'Rational, Knowledgeable' Opposes Our Merger

Comcast's top lobbyist David Cohen (who skirts lobbying disclosure rules by simply pretending he's not a lobbyist) says he's yet to hear any "rational, knowledgeable voices" objecting to his company's planned $45 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. In an interview with CSPAN (see this companion Time article), Cohen again reiterated that the deal would be great for consumers and great for America, as if a man paid to lobby for Comcast would voice any other opinion.

Consumer advocates worry that Comcast's size and scale as a dominant player in phone, cable, TV service and content -- will inevitably result in anti-competitive behavior across numerous fronts. Previously, Comcast had tried to argue that the already massive company getting even bigger isn't a problem because they'd be kept in check by Google Fiber and Hulu, despite the fact Google Fiber is barely deployed and Hulu is owned by Comcast/NBC.

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Now, apparently, it's competitive pressure from wireless that's going to somehow magically keep Comcast on its best behavior:
quote:
Cohen acknowledges that the deal’s implications for the broadband market are “appropriate to think about and discuss,” but argues that it’s “not a very scary story,” due to increasing competition from wireless broadband. “I think it’s indisputable today that wireless is certainly beginning to be an effective competitor and substitute for at least many uses of broadband,” Cohen said.
Given the expensive and heavily-capped nature of wireless, wireless applying any real competitive pressure on Comcast is unlikely; made more unlikely once you realize companies like Verizon are now marketing partners that are in many markets helping to sell Comcast services.

Those concerned that Comcast's scale will result in the use of restrictive licensing and Comcast usage caps to harm Internet video competitors aren't worth listening to, according to Comcast's lobbyist. Cohen took a little time out in the interview to insult countless people and organizations (including Consumer Reports) by stating that nobody rational or knowledgeable is opposing the Comcast merger:
quote:
Cohen dismissed opponents of the proposed merger as “the same group of people” who have opposed media and telecom consolidation over the last two decades. Their “sky is going to fall” predictions have been “discredited and disproven,” Cohen said. “I have been struck by the absence of rational, knowledgeable voices in this space coming out in opposition or even raising serious questions about the transaction,” Cohen added.
Cohen is the same knowledgeable, rational person who pretends U.S. broadband leads the world despite the country being indisputably mediocre in absolutely every single meaningful statistic. If you're not yet sold on the fantastic potential of the deal, Comcast has set up this website and this list of people saying nice things about the merger, most of whom (one way or another) only coincidentally take money from Comcast.
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TAZ
join:2014-01-03
Tucson, AZ

1 recommendation

TAZ

Member

He's right!

$15/GB LTE services are absolutely competition to Comcast... because Comcast plans to charge that same amount too!

:P

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

paradigmfl

Member

Re: He's right!

There is the potential for wireless to be competition but the corporatists have hijacked that and made it common to charge outrageous amounts for bandwidth. What is happening now is that the wired ISPs want to try to increase wired internet prices to match it.
Chubbysumo
join:2009-12-01
Duluth, MN
Ubee E31U2V1
(Software) pfSense
Netgear WNR3500L

1 recommendation

Chubbysumo

Member

competition

wireless anything has never been a competitor for wireline services, ever, and anyone who falls for this asshats crap deserves what they get. NBCU/Comcast and TimeWarner is a bad merger, and instead we need to go the other way, or the FCC needs to get some balls back(fat chance tho) and reclassify ISPs so they can be regulated, which would force them to rent line space to smaller carriers at a reasonable rate, which would bring more competition.
shmerl
join:2013-10-21

shmerl

Member

Re: competition

Yea, Comcast should be split - media separately, telecom separately. Not merged more.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

1 recommendation

cork1958 to Chubbysumo

Premium Member

to Chubbysumo
Absolutely correct!

"he's yet to hear any "rational, knowledgeable voices" objecting to his company's planned $45 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable"

His spewing forth of that crap is supposed to be rational and knowledgeable?

Not that I want Charter to get any part of them either as they already don't know what they're doing half the time!

zoom314
join:2005-11-21
Yermo, CA

zoom314 to Chubbysumo

Member

to Chubbysumo
Agreed.

ArkhmAsylm
Evrythng I need isn't really what I want
Premium Member
join:2006-02-22
Saint Paul, MN

ArkhmAsylm

Premium Member

Renovating the dictionary

-
Rational - Knowledgeable: Comcast code words for "People we pay off".

newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium Member
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD

newview

Premium Member

Consumer Reports says Comcast/TWC merger would be BAD for consumers

quote:
“Both Comcast and Time Warner Cable rank very poorly with consumers when it comes to value for the money and have earned low ratings for customer support,” said Delara Derakhshani. “A merger combining these two huge companies would give Comcast even greater control over the cable and broadband Internet markets, leading to higher prices, fewer choices, and worse customer service for consumers.”
quote:
“In an industry with a terrible track record with consumers, these two companies are among the worst when it comes to providing good value for the money,” said Derakhshani. “The FCC and Department of Justice should stand with consumers and oppose this merger.”
»consumersunion.org/news/ ··· -survey/

Say NO to the Comcast / Time Warner Cable Mafia Merger
»bit.ly/1gB0ULh
dfxmatt
join:2007-08-21
Crystal Lake, IL

dfxmatt

Member

Re: Consumer Reports says Comcast/TWC merger would be BAD for consumers

Even history confirms it would be bad for customers, so yeah.
YDC
join:2007-11-13
Hewlett, NY

YDC

Member

Re: Consumer Reports says Comcast/TWC merger would be BAD for consumers

Out with our new FCC leader if he let's this happen! We need to classify and regulate and make it 1996 all over again, and fast!

Nameless1
join:2014-02-25
Lexington, MA

Nameless1

Member

Re: Consumer Reports says Comcast/TWC merger would be BAD for consumers

The bad thing about the 1996 law was that it allowed then-local phone co's like SBC to get into the long distance business. The trade-off was they were supposed to open their local networks to competition in exchange.

Of course competition in local phone service didn't really happen at the time (not until the VoIP revolution anyway) so basically the SBC's of the world got what they wanted and didn't really have to give up anything in return.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Consumer Reports says Comcast/TWC merger would be BAD for consumers

said by Nameless1:

Of course competition in local phone service didn't really happen at the time.

It happened enough to stop major investment by the incumbent.
In return for adding many players to the mix (including wireless and voip competition) we got to watch our once unmatched telephone system crumble in disrepair to the point that it is now the endangered specie.
And all those players?
most went bankrupt or merged repeatedly in an attempt to get back enough market share to remain viable.
The level of supervision/regulation you suggest almost requires a single entity per area because the cost of such regulation creates too large a disparity between the regulated and unregulated players, with the greater burden falling on the line owners.

BonezX
Basement Dweller
Premium Member
join:2004-04-13
Canada

BonezX

Premium Member

Re: Consumer Reports says Comcast/TWC merger would be BAD for consumers

said by tshirt:

The level of supervision/regulation you suggest almost requires a single entity per area because the cost of such regulation creates too large a disparity between the regulated and unregulated players, with the greater burden falling on the line owners.

the companies themselves shouldn't be the line owners, since that seems to be what the common issue is, why shouldn't the cities or towns be the line owners, and the companies rent them, you would get that open market model(where the company doesn't also own the road), and the infrastructure is not just one of their assets they can leverage against competition to push them out.

it's not like the companies don't already get handed gov money for upgrades that never happen, and when they do they lock out competition as much as they can get away with.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Consumer Reports says Comcast/TWC merger would be BAD for consumers

said by BonezX:

it's not like the companies don't already get handed gov money for upgrades that never happen, and when they do they lock out competition as much as they can get away with.

Telcos get subsidies, Cableco's (who actually own a more useful plant) do not.
Everyone like the idea of a shared single line, the question is how to pay for it/get there.
And who should control/run it.
You would have to look far here to see "NOT THE GOV'T!!!"(to which I would agree) but many of the same faces would say "NOT CORP. A!!!" either.
But these thing can't just organize, build, and run themselves.
A lot of things to be decide before "One line, to serve them all" gets going.

BonezX
Basement Dweller
Premium Member
join:2004-04-13
Canada

BonezX

Premium Member

Re: Consumer Reports says Comcast/TWC merger would be BAD for consumers

Realistically the infrastructure should be owned by the town, and funded directly by the people using it(none of this big government stuff, just small towns that are more often then not undeserved and over charged).

and on a national level, the town/city interlink within the state would be by the state, and state to state interlinks would be federal, build out to the next biggest.

but you would need to kick just about everyone out of your government and replace them with people that work in the industry they are overseeing vs lawyers, politicians, and lobbyists who don't even understand how the internet works.
rfrooney
join:2006-02-26
Antioch, TN

rfrooney

Member

What is Cohen smoking?

Whatever it is, he should share because you can't even get it in Colorado.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25

Member

Re: What is Cohen smoking?

Maybe he is burning the green backs that Comcast is giving him and taking in the "essence" from it.

Probitas
@teksavvy.com

Probitas

Anon

Yes, Yes

We all know companies only want to make a reasonable profit, they aren't out to cheat anyone, or be ruthless in their pursuit of profits. It's just good business.

seamore
Premium Member
join:2009-11-02

seamore

Premium Member

Re: Yes, Yes

said by Probitas :

We all know companies only want to make a reasonable profit, they aren't out to cheat anyone, or be ruthless in their pursuit of profits. It's just good business.

LOL. good one.
Tief
Premium Member
join:2007-11-16
Lewisville, TX

Tief

Premium Member

Consumers win through competition

What will help consumers out the most is a true open, capitalist market in which competition thrives. Then, Comcast and Time-Warner would be forced to give a better quality service at a good price - or file for bankruptcy.

The kind of deals that prevent competition are major reasons people think our (U.S.) national government is controlled by big business. And, it is, to a large degree - the proof is in what the politicians do, not what they say.
jac74
join:2004-11-14
Orlando, FL

jac74

Member

Re: Consumers win through competition

Simply put, Cohen is a Douche Nozzle! period.....

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru

Premium Member

Lobbyists....

The biggest liars in the world, right up there with lawyers and politicians.
Madtown
Premium Member
join:2008-04-26
93637-2905

Madtown

Premium Member

Re: Lobbyists....

Aren't lobbyists lawyers?

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru

Premium Member

Re: Lobbyists....

Most, but not all..

Packeteers
Premium Member
join:2005-06-18
Forest Hills, NY
Asus RT-AC3100
(Software) Asuswrt-Merlin

1 edit

Packeteers

Premium Member

debate class 1.01

once you know you can't win the argument,
all you have left is to chastise your opponent.

in college - you'd lose the debate completely.
in real life - loud paid shills always seem to win.

it occurs to me that if some alien being landed on our planet,
and we explained to him what determines why companies merge,
how the few hundred voting shareholders enjoy a financial windfall
while tens of thousands of employees who's jobs come under threat,
and tens of millions of customers who's service will get billed for more
have no say in the merger decision whatsoever, my guess is that
superior being from another world would wipe us all out as lunatics.
YDC
join:2007-11-13
Hewlett, NY

YDC

Member

Re: debate class 1.01

And, of course, that nice donation to your cause from hundreds of non-profit agencies that do not exist other than to dole out funds on demand. This is the only version of on-demand that is succeeding.. lol

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH

buzz_4_20

Member

WOW...

Some people just don't get it.

Wireless broadband doesn't compare to wired. END OF STORY.

Less providers, means less competition - even if they don't directly compete.

Ericthorn
It only hurts when I laugh
Premium Member
join:2001-08-10
Paragould, AR

Ericthorn

Premium Member

Mega Mergers

These are never a good idea, no matter how any shill's swing it. Nothing will happen here except a bunch of regular joe's losing their jobs while some high level execs and stock jocks make a few bucks.

Oh, and wireless is 'competition'? Obviously he's pandering to the 80% of the country who have no idea what 'broadband' is , and to 100% of our idiotic government who are absolutely fucking clueless or paid off.

newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium Member
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD

newview

Premium Member

Re: Mega Mergers

said by Ericthorn:

Obviously he's pandering to the 80% of the country who have no idea what 'broadband' is , and to 100% of our idiotic government who are absolutely fucking clueless or paid off.

Comcast's lobbying team includes six former government officials. Former Senator Don Nickles, former Representative Robert Walker, former Senator Blanche Lincoln, former Representative Ron Klink, David Cohen of Comcast and former F.C.C. member Meredith Attwell Baker.

15 of the 18 members of the Senate House Judiciary Committee, as well as 32 members of the 39 members of the House Judiciary Committee have had their campaign coffers stuffed with Comcast money.

Say NO to the Comcast / Time Warner Cable Mafia Merger
»bit.ly/1gB0ULh

Probitas
@teksavvy.com

Probitas

Anon

I think he knows he's full of it too.

"wireless is certainly beginning to be an effective competitor and substitute for at least many uses of broadband,” Cohen said."

The phrase at least with the word many is a really bad way to speak. It shows you know you are talking about a small amount of applications with regard to broadband, not a large amount as he's attempting to portray. Trying really hard to not get caught in a bald faced lie.
totalradio
join:2007-09-15
El Dorado, AR

1 recommendation

totalradio

Member

Pretty damn funny...

"Comcast: Nobody 'Rational, Knowledgeable' Opposes Our Merger"

There must be a lot of irrational, ignorant people out there.

I'm not a Comcast or Time Warner customer and I don't like the merger. There's a point where a company is too big.

Comcast is one of them. And I'm pro-business too !
political_i
join:2013-11-12

political_i

Member

Re: Pretty damn funny...

I wonder if I could sue for slander since they are making the implication that most of us are idiots.

JephMan
@comcast.net

JephMan

Anon

Other Companies

Nothing is stopping other providers from trying to compete in these markets.

gar187er
I DID this for a living
join:2006-06-24
Seattle, WA

gar187er

Member

Re: Other Companies

sadly nobody realizes this. it just costs wayyyy to much to build a new network out.
63475675 (banned)
join:2014-01-06

63475675 (banned)

Member

Those words....

Mr. Cohen is yet another typical arrogant, point man being paid a small fortune to bribe our FCC, Congress, and Senate by Comcast to do something that is
CLEARLY NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

This should fall under the Racketeering Laws like RICO.

Mr. Cohen, like the famous Monopoly board game chance card says:
"Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200."

CosmicDebri
Still looking for intelligent life
join:2001-09-01
Lake City, FL

1 recommendation

CosmicDebri

Member

Who actually believes what a lobbyist says?

They are PAID to say things, and they say nothing they haven't been PAID to say. So how can it be taken seriously? It's just a form of advertising, except it goes straight to the people who are supposed to make informed decisions.

And basically what this Cohen is saying is everyone (except Comcast and Time Warner) are irrational and stupid...... someone should take offense at that. I know I do.

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

NOYB

Premium Member

I'm Offended


"Comcast: Nobody 'Rational, Knowledgeable' Opposes Our Merger"

vdiv
Premium Member
join:2002-03-23
Reston, VA

vdiv

Premium Member

Re: I'm Offended

Consider who it came from. Instead of being offended we should wear it as a badge of honor, as that guy has none.

MxxCon
join:1999-11-19
Brooklyn, NY

MxxCon

Member

Hyperbole much?

Mr. Cohen, and I say to you that I'm yet to see a single pedophile that opposes this merger. What does that make you?
etaadmin
join:2002-01-17
united state

1 recommendation

etaadmin

Member

I'm for the merger

Most of the people against the merger have nothing to gain or loose if this merger goes through, they are not twc or Comcast subscribers.

In my case as a TWC subscriber I have more to gain than loose.
1. I will loose the uncapped status.
2. I will gain with better TV hardware.
3. I will gain with faster internet speeds.
4. I will gain with a company that is bullish on new technology.
5. Probably I will be paying the same but getting more.

Overall my impression is that I will be better off with Comcast than with TWC. I hope this deal gets approved.

••••

davidc502
join:2002-03-06
Mount Juliet, TN

davidc502

Member

Merger with TW

A quick message from Comcast......

»www.funnyordie.com/video ··· e-a-f-ck
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