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story category FCC Votes To Cap Comcast Growth
Cannot own more than 30% of pay TV market...
(old news - 09:51AM Friday Nov 30 2007)
tags: fcc · business · cable · Comcast
The Wall Street Journal (registration required) confirms that FCC chief Kevin Martin did get two fellow commissioners to vote with him to cap the growth of Comcast Communications. After the decision the cable giant will be no longer allowed to own more than 30% of the pay TV market. As you might expect, Comcast isn't happy. Comments from the now-leashed cable giant courtesy of the Philly Inquirer:
"We believe that the record in front of the FCC provides little support for a cable-ownership cap at any level and absolutely no support for a cap of 30 percent," Comcast executive vice president David L. Cohen said in the statement. "It is unthinkable that the government would constrain the ability of cable companies like Comcast to compete with these colossal companies that have virtually unlimited financial resources," he added. "In fact, AT&T alone has a market capitalization of $231 billion - larger than the entire cable industry combined."

Related:
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  2. Comcast Catches a Break In FCC Throttling Fight
  3. FCC's Comcast Throttling Deadline At Midnight
  4. Martin, Comcast, Continue Lover's Feud
  5. FCC Doesn't Like Comcast's New Treatment of VoIP
  6. Cable Carriers Fined For Stalling FCC Price Investigation
  7. Comcast Denies Unfair VoIP Discrimination
  8. Comcast Fights - For Its Right - To Get Bigger
Forums » FCC Votes To Cap Comcast Growth
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JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD
clubs:

Comcast supports caps

Comcast owns a much higher % of the pay TV market than the "average" cable company, so this ruling is in-line with their own policies.

CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12

Re: Comcast supports caps

Great contribution as usual.
BosstonesOwn

join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:
·Comcast
·Comcast Formerly ..

Re: Comcast supports caps

said by CableTool See Profile :

Great contribution as usual.
I actually found it quite funny actually. It makes you really laugh when ya think about it.
--
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!"

CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12

Actually a good point

Now that the cablecos are in the telco market they will need the resources and revenue of as many subscribers as they can get.
Capping them at 30% while the telcos work off of their monopolistic telco budget to further their foray into the Video delivery field is fucking insane.

In other news, Martin purchased a new home in the Hamptons from an undisclosed financial "investment"
--
CableTechs.org/"Horrible People with Integrity"

LiamJunket
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Ocean City, NJ
·Comcast


1 edit

Re: Actually a good point

said by CableTool See Profile :

Now that the cablecos are in the telco market they will need the resources and revenue of as many subscribers as they can get.
Capping them at 30% while the telcos work off of their monopolistic telco budget to further their foray into the Video delivery field is fucking insane.
It won't matter. Comcast will take this to court once again. In fact, I would be surprised if they couldn't quickly obtain an injunction preventing any FCC action in this regard until a full hearing could be held - especially since they already won this battle once before.
--
Internet News
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openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
·AT&T Southeast

Beyond the fact that capping "pay TV" is simply ignorant in the first place (it's television folks and competition is available even if Comcast has 100% of the cable TV market), this will impact competition on the HSI market as well. Comcast won't be able to expand into new markets to compete with the behemoth telcos on the ISP front because of this "pay TV" limitation.

halfband
Premium
join:2002-06-01
Huntsville, AL
·Comcast


2 edits

Re: Actually a good point

So he wants to limit a company that is trying to expand services across the country, but does nothing to get the incumbent telcos to roll out anything. Bellsouth, now ATT won't even bother to run DSL in many areas around here. And that is in the city, (too many load coils and old lines.) Try policies that promote over-builders, not restricting the ones that are actually investing in infrastructure. If this kind of policy was enforced it would just result in Comcast cherry picking their service areas to keep the most profitable 30%. I guess it is a good thing that no other companies have more than a 30% US market share . KM appears to be either one of the most corrupt or incompetent officials we have seen lately.
--
Registered Bandwidth Offender #40812

AtlGuy

join:2000-10-17
Marietta, GA

Re: Actually a good point

said by halfband See Profile :

KM appears to be either one of the most corrupt or incompetent officials we have seen lately.
Can he be both?

TScheisskopf
World News Trust

join:2005-02-13
Belvidere, NJ
·Sprint Broadband D..

Re: Actually a good point

said by AtlGuy See Profile :

said by halfband See Profile :

KM appears to be either one of the most corrupt or incompetent officials we have seen lately.
Can he be both?
Not only can he, but he is succeeding beyond even the wildest expectations.

Usually, I am satisfied with half a loaf. That said, in this case, that half a loaf is not better than no loaf at all. The only way for this to work would be to place hard levels of deployment on the telcos, who Martin seems to lie awake, at night, fretting over.

What all telecom/cable companies need is a few hard kicks in the ass, something Martin seems completely incapable of doing.
madrhino

join:2004-07-03
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast

said by AtlGuy See Profile :

said by halfband See Profile :

KM appears to be either one of the most corrupt or incompetent officials we have seen lately.
Can he be both?
That's at the top of any government job description.

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD
clubs:
·LINGO
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·surpasshosting
·Verizon FIOS

said by halfband See Profile :

Try policies that promote over-builders, not restricting the ones that are actually investing in infrastructure.
My sentiments exactly: »Want to grow? OVERBUILD!

Why not let them exceed 30%, as long as everything they build/acquire once they hit the cap is a new overbuild?

cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:

The FCC lately sounds like the most corrupt band of lunatics I've ever seen come out of the government.

It's blatantly obvious that Kevin Martin is in bed with the Telco's. Every single thing you hear from him is something to restrict Cable in some way or another, but you never hear anything about satellite or Telco TV. I don't see how an operation like this can survive for much longer without crumbling into little pieces.

Send Kevin Martin where he belongs -- in jail!

backfeed
is giving feedback

join:2002-12-16
Peru, IN
·Comcast Digital Vo..
·Comcast Formerly ..

Re: Actually a good point


Sure does seem that Martin has a hard-on for the cable companies...we recently left AT&T to get CDV....it is funny.... I could not get the time of day from AT&T before I dropped them...now the are jumping thru hoops to get me back....
--
ERROR: Out of Memory... Should I forget Something (Y,y)?
BosstonesOwn

join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:
·Comcast
·Comcast Formerly ..

Wahhh cable has to abide by shitty unfair rules like the telcos had too for the longest time ....Wahhh they need all this money to fight the phone companies .....wahhh.....

Dude they forayed into telco services and now they complain when they get a unfair rule pushed on them, cry me a river. I hope comcast at least sends you a check for the contributions you make to their purposes here.
--
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!"
madrhino

join:2004-07-03
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast

said by CableTool See Profile :

In other news, Martin purchased a new home in the Hamptons from an undisclosed financial "investment"
Hahahahaha!!!! Accusing the competition of bribes!!! Hahahaha!!!!

CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12

Re: Actually a good point

said by madrhino See Profile :

said by CableTool See Profile :

In other news, Martin purchased a new home in the Hamptons from an undisclosed financial "investment"
Hahahahaha!!!! Accusing the competition of bribes!!! Hahahaha!!!!
Your Hahas are cutting and deep. Ouch.
--
CableTechs.org/"Horrible People with Integrity"
axus

join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC
Telco should really be subject to the same rules as cable. Cable had been just as monopolistic until satellite TV came onto the scene.
JSRoman
Premium
join:2005-03-10
Callahan, FL


1 edit

Headed to US court system.

Stricken down once, will be stricken down again.

The vote looks to be schedued for 12/18. A lot can happen before the Telco whore gets to pat himself on the back.
--
»www.seabee.navy.mil

TMMerlin
The Devil made me do it

join:2003-06-19
Oxford, MI
·EarthLink

Where is Karl Rove when Comcast needs him ??

Dosen't the FCC realize ?? that limiting Comcast from entering "all homes" in the USA is a threat to National Security ? ..it is enhancing the Terror Mongers to tap your telephone ? ..unable to view "real time video" of couch potatoes ? Karl would never have let this happen !! Is Kevin Martin really a "Hillary transplant" and just acting out of self-centered greed so he can ensure his job security ? .. Damn ..saidf to see the Republicans heading for cover so SOON ..!
--
Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy but they become legend.
bamabrad

join:2006-01-27
Port Orange, FL

I'm not saying that I agree with the decision...

but these monolistic companies need to get a little more agreeable with the customers or there shall be a lot more of this-maybe to go as far as being regulated as a utility.
BosstonesOwn

join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:

Re: I'm not saying that I agree with the decision...

Ironically thats why I feel it's a good decision.

LiamJunket
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Ocean City, NJ
·Comcast


2 edits

FCC did not VOTE to limit Comcast YET - story is wrong

The story headline is WRONG!!! The Wall St Journal writer got it wrong.

The vote is not scheduled until Dec 18 - if it makes the agenda which isn't released until Dec 11.

The headline should read "FCC May vote to cap cable ownership at 30%"

»www.philly.com/inquirer/business···air.html
He also is proposing a vote on the 30 percent limit for the FCC's Dec. 18 meeting, according to published reports.
FCC spokeswoman Mary Diamond said yesterday that the agenda for the meeting would not be published until Dec. 11. She did not have further comment.
»news.google.com/news?svnum=10&as···G=Search
Mr. Martin circulated the proposals among the commissioners rather than presenting them in a formal meeting. The panel's two other members haven't voted yet but are expected to shortly. Under FCC rules, the commissioners who have already voted can still change their votes, but that isn't expected to happen.
So, what we have here is a "STRAW VOTE" with the 2 Dems saying how they will vote. But now there is 18 days worth of lobbying to come from the cable industry and Congress to change their minds.

--
Internet News
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My Web Page

CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12

Re: FCC did not VOTE to limit Comcast YET - story is wrong

Oh WTF!
Well, wake me when its over.
I need to stop getting my industry news from DSLR.

DotMac
Shill H8r
Premium
join:2007-10-26
Huntington Beach, CA


1 edit

Re: FCC did not VOTE to limit Comcast YET - story is wrong

said by CableTool See Profile :

Oh WTF!
Well, wake me when its over.
I need to stop getting my industry news opinion from DSLR.
There, fixed it for ya.

gaforces
United We Stand, Divided We Fall

join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA
·Cruzio Internet


4 edits
Dangit, I was hoping they would have to sell thier franchise in my area :P
Payback for taking all those VOIP customers away from ... someone.
Hrm this could lead to cherry picking, or more probably, plums.

Its more important to stop them from violating network neutrality and abusing the internet by putting strain (and cost) on other providers from thier blocking.
nasadude

join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
·Comcast

said by LiamJunket See Profile :

The story headline is WRONG!!! The Wall St Journal writer got it wrong.
GASP!!!! that's just not possible - a writer getting something wrong???

antdude
A Ninja Ant
Premium,VIP
join:2001-03-25

Drop monopolies.

Let cable companies fight each other in each city! I hate having only one cable provider.
haplo2112

join:2003-05-12
Charlton, MA

Re: Drop monopolies.

Unfortunately your local cable company usually pays off the town/city big time to keep it as close to a one horse race as possible. Its not a direct cash pay off, but rather in services, donations of support, local access, stuff like that.

antdude
A Ninja Ant
Premium,VIP
join:2001-03-25

Re: Drop monopolies.

said by haplo2112 See Profile :

Unfortunately your local cable company usually pays off the town/city big time to keep it as close to a one horse race as possible. Its not a direct cash pay off, but rather in services, donations of support, local access, stuff like that.
Yeah, see that sucks. Can't FCC or anyone else do anything about that?

halfband
Premium
join:2002-06-01
Huntsville, AL
·Comcast

Re: Drop monopolies.

said by antdude See Profile :

Can't FCC or anyone else do anything about that?
So you want a government organization that rules at the whim of political bribes, backscratching and payoffs to come up with regulations to prevent the locals from getting a piece of the pie? Don't hold your breath.
--
Registered Bandwidth Offender #40812

batageek
Slave To The Duopoly
Premium
join:2003-01-25

That's not even remotely true.

What keeps out competition is the lack of interest, on the the part of cable companies, to actually compete within a given market.

There's nothing blocking multiple providers from going head to head. In fact it's against the law to block a provider from coming in.
--
»www.tricitybroadband.com

TScheisskopf
World News Trust

join:2005-02-13
Belvidere, NJ
·Sprint Broadband D..

They didn't pay off jack, here. They came in to the town council meeting, told the council what they wanted and if they didn't get it, they would pull out of the town, stripping every inch of wire, every line amp and every tap as they left. Their demands were non-negotiable and by the way, they would be paying less than last time for the franchise rights.

The council member who told me this, a committed and doctrinare Republican and friend of business, was appalled and indignant at this thuggery. He called it thuggery, too. But they had the straight razor at their throats. So the council signed.
SKYWARP

join:2005-02-02
Portland, OR
·Comcast Formerly ..

Re: Drop monopolies.

I'm going to call bullshit on that one. If nothing else, cablecos are very interested in making money, and nobody is going to dump X number of paying customers because of some municiple regulations. Municiple regulations that have no teeth to them. Franchise agreements are limited in their scope and the local franchise authority has very little power to regulate policies.

TScheisskopf
World News Trust

join:2005-02-13
Belvidere, NJ
·Sprint Broadband D..

Re: Drop monopolies.

said by SKYWARP See Profile :

I'm going to call bullshit on that one. If nothing else, cablecos are very interested in making money, and nobody is going to dump X number of paying customers because of some municiple regulations. Municiple regulations that have no teeth to them. Franchise agreements are limited in their scope and the local franchise authority has very little power to regulate policies.
Well, you go call it anything you like, Sunshine. I know what the councilman told me and he was about as non-prevaricating as they come.

Never been in small, rural town franchise negotiations, have you?

CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12

said by antdude See Profile :

Let cable companies fight each other in each city! I hate having only one cable provider.
Jonestown : We need more competition, lets solicit some other CableCos to come into our area..

Comcast : Sorry, due to a recent regulation, we can no longer provide service outside our current area.

Timewarner : Sorry, due to recent regualtions, we can no longer provide service outside our current area.

COX : Unofrtunately due to recent regulations we can only provide service to 1,000 residents in your town. We are currently at 29.500% of our cap..

WTF?

Suddenly things look a lot less competitive and stagnant.
--
CableTechs.org/"Horrible People with Integrity"

See 14 replies to this post

pavetheway

@verizon.net

30 percent good enuff'

Hmm.. So when does the space ship come back to pick up it's 'cut'? (sorry, obscure star trek reference)

Does this mean that other cable companies can muscle in on a comcast territory? There'd be anarchy.. Does the FCC really want 2 cable companies and a telco overlapping/competing in the same municipalities? --Not to say some good wouldn't come of multiple service providers... (who truly want to compete)

Cable & telco monopolies weren't written into the constitution. If the FCC wants to do any good.. they can rewrite the rules to FORCE comcast into QOS rules that say.. if the competition does NOT have a comparable product making itself a Defacto MONOPOLY, they MUST comply with similar telco QOS rules and regulations. The idea being that if there was only a sub 1megabit dsl service (or worse dialup..) and a 6 megabit comcast cablemodem service.. that Comcast would be under stricter rules that force them to deliver reasonable QOS guarantees similar to telcos have with phone service as it has Defacto monopoly power being the only *reasonable* provider in town.

hayabusa3303
Over 200 mph
Premium
join:2005-06-29
clubs:

i smell something

Sure cap comcast but AT&T can be back together buy Dish network up and NO stops them. my A** and TOTAL BS.

Comcrap

@sbcglobal.net

from:
johndoe303 See Profile
tiger72 See Profile
thumbs down from:
johndoe303 See Profile

IT'S COMCRAPSTICKS!

Hey, it's only fair... Comcast cap's their users, so they should be capped as well...

hitman_001
Premium
join:2006-11-20
Laredo, TX

Surely the FCC wont "Cap" comcast

More than likely they'll just send out a bunch of rst packets.

morbo
Complete Your Transaction

join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs:

Re: Surely the FCC wont "Cap" comcast

good one.

meskinct
This space for rent
Premium
join:2002-01-07
Danbury, CT
clubs:
·Comcast
·magicjack.com

At least they told them what the cap is

Well, at least the FCC told them what the cap is.

The story could have gone like this:

Comcast: So what is the ownership cap?

FCC: We can't really tell you that. We will manage it as we see fit and if we find you abusing it, we will limit your ownership.

Comcast: Is there a set percentage of ownership?

FCC: Again, we will manage it as we see fit. We will not give you a set number.


--
Rich. My Website including the AT&T/SNET Status Page

hitman_001
Premium
join:2006-11-20
Laredo, TX

Re: At least they told them what the cap is

Haha, today is going to be a gooood day
smokarz

join:2006-07-24
West Hartford, CT

can we all get along????

let comcast, cox, cablevision, verizon, att, and anyone else to want to join the party, compete in every single city/market in the US. whoever offers the best products/services to consumers will come out atop. peace out...and ahhh Martin, so suck some Telcos c*cks before the cablecos put a stick up your *ss.....
majortom1029

join:2006-10-19
Lindenhurst, NY

hmm

So basically the fcc is setting up for ma bel lto come back and instead of just owning the us telephone system now they will own telephone,tv,and itnernet?

Isnt that just a little screwed up?

BF69

join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN

You forget Comcast sucks

I'm sure plenty of Comcast and former Comcast customers that Comcast can't expand further. I mean unless you want techs falling asleep at your house, hitting gas lines or murdering you.
DufiefData

join:2006-06-13
Gaithersburg, MD

Ridiculous!

What is the FCC going to do? Block subscribers from signing up with Comcast? Disconnect Comcast customers and shift them over to Verizon? Let Comcast work freely in the marketplace along with Verizon, Embarq, Qwest, Cablevision and all the others.
bock

join:2002-09-13
Salt Lake City, UT

Re: Ridiculous!

If only there were a way to make them all compete on a level playing field... Like have the local Governmet own the infrastructure and have companies compete on merit of content and services? It would be a Utopia!

TraumaJunkie
Premium
join:2004-03-05
Knoxville, TN

said by DufiefData See Profile :

Disconnect Comcast customers and shift them over to Verizon?
If Martin had his way I would say this is not a rediculous statement...I mean he has to continue giving the telcos something for what is obviously going into his pocket.

If the government really wants to do something worthwhile they would look at the FCC and just see what is going on, why are they all of a sudden in bed w/ the telcos. I would venture to say there would be some late night shredding that would rival Enron!
bicker

join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA

Support Competition; Don't Cap Growth

The FCC should be voting to ban all government regulations and dictates that obstruct competition. All adequately-funded companies willing to offer service in an area should be granted all appropriate licenses to do so, without having to pay the government anything for the privilege except the explicit costs of damages their facility installations cause to town property. No more sweet-heart deals. No more franchising authority extortion.

See 23 replies to this post

DotMac
Shill H8r
Premium
join:2007-10-26
Huntington Beach, CA

1 edit

Rules should apply to everyone

These ownership limits should apply to telco services as well, especially considering the size of the Death Star's footprint.

Da_ALC

@KCOM.COM

FCC is uterly turd... but so is TV

FCC prob has some money grubbing reason for this or they wouldnt do it... gotta remember, anything the FCC does is motivated by pure greed... These 3 guys prob have shares somewhere else.. or know people who do... or had a bet on.. or fell out with somebody at comcast.
For sure they have no legit reason.
Either way cap or no cap, TV sucks more and more by the day so who cares what happens where hey?

IPingUPing
N4BFR
Premium
join:2002-08-30
Smyrna, GA
clubs:

What does Comcast do...

As they get close to the 30%, they sell small systems and focus on bigger ones. Smaller systems go to a company that has less to invest in upgrades, and you have more of a gap. What good comes of that?

Sharingislegal

@rogers.com

LOL

Am I suppose to feel sorry for Comcast?

TraumaJunkie
Premium
join:2004-03-05
Knoxville, TN

Re: LOL

said by Sharingislegal :

Am I suppose to feel sorry for Comcast?
No one is asking anyone to feel sorry, just for an even playing field for all. The FCC has definately created a playing field tilted in the telco's favor.
Forums » FCC Votes To Cap Comcast Growthpage: 1 · 2


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