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2014-02-13 Home Front: Culture Wars

Comcast to acquire Time-Warner for $45 billion

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Posted by badanov 2014-02-13 00:16|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 Do we still even have antitrust laws? If there's one "industry" that could stand some trust-busting it's Big Media.

Posted by PBMcL 2014-02-13 00:34|| 2014-02-13 00:34|| Front Page Top

#2 One of the most glaring situations of antitrust in the US today is the bundling policy of cable providers. This is naked rent-seeking to force people to purchase a product/service they do not want so that the employees and owners of hundreds of channels (which would fail overnight if the market were freed up and a la carte offerings were the case) can have a guaranteed income. Also, it disguises the actual costs of sports networks like ESPN.

Even Canada now has a la carte cable. This move by comcast to acquire Warner will of course strengthen the ability of the industry to lobby Congress to keep the current awful system of bundling.

The reason that the entertainment industry thinks that all businesses are lobbying fat cats which use government to interrupt the market and line their own pockets is that that is how THEIR industry works. Simple projection.

I'll buy cable again when it is a la carte.

Posted by no mo uro 2014-02-13 05:03|| 2014-02-13 05:03|| Front Page Top

#3 I remember when tv was free.

Posted by Whusoger Spomoth6829 2014-02-13 10:45|| 2014-02-13 10:45|| Front Page Top

#4 It still is 'free' - Digital broadcasts can be picked up for free. Well in most urban areas.

The problem there is the selection.

Posted by CrazyFool 2014-02-13 11:49|| 2014-02-13 11:49|| Front Page Top

23:10 JosephMendiola
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