OptimumOnline → Re: Old cable channel lineups

In the late 1980s there were 3 metropolitan area cable systems run by United Artists: UACC of Oakland NJ, UACC of Westchester and Brookhaven Cable TV on Long Island. All 3 were sold to TCI in the early 90s before Cablevision acquired them later in the decade.

Yes.. There were 7 other systems in addition to these 3 in the metro area that were sold by TCI to Cablevision in 1997.. We've been with Brookhaven Cable TV, then TCI, then Cablevision of Brookhaven.

Was TKR the same company as TCI, or did one acquire the other? Seems like not much documentation around from back then in that sense .

Tci acquired TKR in 1997.

So basically, TKR->TCI->Cablevision->Altice. These companies used to gobble up each other quickly. Wonder who will acquire altice USA.

i would speculate comcast or spectrum.

From 100's of smaller cable companies now to 2 giant conglomerates. Consolidation at its best (or worst).

best for the shareholders, worst for the subscribers.

Unless the subscriber is also a shareholder! Buy some stocks and get in on the game as it’s easier than ever to do so.

TKR Cable was jointly owned by The Knight-Riddler and TCI (Tele-Communications Inc). Eventually Knight-Riddler divested themselves of the cable venture. TCI did some horsetrading of systems back in the 90s. I know what is now Comcast of Wildwood used to be TKR back in the 90s, later it became TCI....which AT&T bought out and later Comcast purchased. The North Jersey TCI systems were sold to Cablevision around 1997. If they weren't, they'd likely be Comcastic today.

If Altice were to sell to Comcast, they'd have a really hard time getting it approved in New Jersey. They would likely have to divest systems given that Comcast would control almost the entire state's CATV market at that point.

....but it's not as though cable systems in different towns or counties compete with each other.

In every locality there is generally only one CATV system (unless the municipal government starts their own) and sometimes a telco system (eg FiOS) as you know.

Things are different now, but if two systems overlapped the FCC used to have a policy of preserving competition. Now, you have fios in many towns and with cord-cutting they could probably argue people have options anyway. When Cablevision purchased TCI's north jersey systems in the late 90s, they were forced to divest TCI's Paramus-Hillsdale system since TCI directly competed with Cablevision in those two towns. That small system was bought by US Cable. 10 years later US Cable sold it back to Cablevision. By that time FiOS was available.