[CABLEVISION] I hope this is a supported topic, cable regulation..

[Shredder]

How did things get to a point where only one cable company is allowed in a part of town? It's almost like the mob..where each mobster has it's own territory and no one else is allowed in. Was this all because of cable deregulation, or was something else the cause of it?

I really hope Verizon is succesfull with it's franchise, because after paying $70's or more for cablevsion's IO service, we'll be saving an awful lot, and get some new channels to boot.

Kind of sad I'm routing for one of Two monopolies and smaller companies can't afford to start their own networks that might be better.. i'm still waiting for a movie loving billionaire to start a commercial free, bug free, add on program free, uncut movie/tv show channel dedicated to the stuff people actually want to watch. The programming

 

[RemyM]

Cable companies were granted monopolies by the government, just like there is only one Telephone, Electric, Water and Gas company. It has to due with the large investment needed to start up a service. Without that monopoly why would a company spend millions to wire a whole area? They wouldn't, they would cherry pick the areas that would make them money and stay away from the rest. By them being granted a franchise they also become regulated. The problem is the federal government later came back and deregulated cable companies and most local price controls were lost. The only cable prices now regulated are broadcast basic, equipment and service calls.

Just like the phone company was eventually required to allow competition the same is now happening to cable. Just don't expect any huge price decreases. FIOS TV isn't saving people that much money, a few bucks at most, the improvement will be in service and programming. Duopoly's don't save the consumer much.

 

[riffjim4069]

Despite changes to the federal cable franchise law in 1992, 97% of cable customers still have not received the benefit of head-to-head cable video competition; they have a single, sole, cable TV provider. By comparison, competition in telephone has progressed significantly with many consumers having multiple providers from which to choose. Unfortunately, the 1992 Cable Act essentially left the cable monopoly system unchanged by allowing 33,000 Local Franchise Authorities to dictate how cable TV service is provided in their localities.

In a nutshell, it's a legalized form of government sponsored collusion: the LFAs get to demand huge application and franchise fees, and extort millions in free services that have absolutely nothing to do with cable TV. The cable companies basically paid the extortion fees and were given their own piece of the pie...all the while our cable bills went through the roof!

Anyway, hopefully changes in cable and telecommunications laws will make it easier for the little guys and gals to compete in the video and telephone market.

 

[riffjim4069]

Just like the phone company was eventually required to allow competition the same is now happening to cable. Just don't expect any huge price decreases. FIOS TV isn't saving people that much money, a few bucks at most, the improvement will be in service and programming. Duopoly's don't save the consumer much.

Most people can expect to see a 15-25% savings. Plus, in the future I believe Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) will eventually be opened to a variety of service providers...even Dish Network and DirecTV.

 

[Shredder]

Hmm, would this be why we have the local channels that no one watches, except for perhaps school closings in the winter?

Hopefully Verizon will come up with a better way to handle that than the cable company does. maybe offer local towns the ability to create their own news broadcast. I was browsing the NY channels, because a co-worker of mine had a kid in an elmwood park school, and next door, a nut bag with a gun took refuge in a hotel. 100 cop cars and garbage trucks serving as bullet detractors responded, and didn't see one bit about it on the local NY news. Turned to News 12 NJ, there it was as a top headline. OF course, we loose News 12 if we go to FIOS TV, so if Verizon can offer an alternative...great .

Maybe even equipment to broadcast local kids sports games or something and make it a REAL local network, rather than something someone did on a 8MM camera without sound...

As for verizons bill, I heard that 200 digital channels was only $39.95 per month, or has that changed?