As expected, Comcast and Time Warner Cable confirmed this morning that, through a combination of customer swaps and spin-off, shed themselves of around 4 million customers who will land, at least in part, in the lap of Charter Communications. [More]
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Stories You Might Have Missed Because You Were Too Busy Being Awesome
April 26, 2014
We post a lot of stories during the week, and we know that most of you have jobs, families, lives, hobbies, nagging itches and other more important things to do than read every single thing we write. So for those who might be playing catch-up on the weekend, here are some of the things you might have missed… [More]
Time Warner Cable’s Newest Bundle: Unexplained Rate Increases And Pro-Merger Mail
By 4.25.14
Last month, the CEO of Time Warner Cable called his company’s upcoming merger with Comcast a “dream combination” — and in the same speech, he delivered some decidedly less-dreamy news. There would indeed be rate increases coming for TWC customers in 2014, he confirmed. Now, those increases are starting to appear. [More]
Dish Network’s Internet TV Service Could Be Available This Summer
By 4.23.14
While a number of companies have been contemplating the launch of an Internet-only pay-TV service, it looks like Dish may be the first U.S. provider to do so, as reports say the satellite company is looking to start offering this stand-alone service as soon as this coming summer. [More]
Stories You Might Have Missed Because You Were Too Busy Being Awesome
April 19, 2014
We post a lot of stories during the week, and we know that most of you have jobs, families, lives, hobbies, nagging itches and other more important things to do than read every single thing we write. So for those who might be playing catch-up on the weekend, here are some of the things you might have missed… [More]
Now That Netflix Is Paying Comcast, Users Finally Get Decent Speeds… But At What Cost?
By 4.14.14
The good news: Netflix’s deal to pay Comcast for better access to its network is working. The bad news: This will now set a precedent that Internet service providers can hold content companies hostage with complete disregard to net neutrality. [More]
Comcast-TWC Merger Could Bring Broadband Data Caps To Pretty Much Everyone
By 4.14.14
Mobile data caps might be almost universal, but home broadband data caps are much less so. Some providers have them, but many don’t. At the moment, Time Warner Cable is in that “doesn’t” category — but Comcast keeps trying to expand theirs. If the FCC grants the corporate union of the two its blessing, a whopping 78% of Americans could find themselves living under the new normal of limited home broadband. [More]
Franken: Media Companies Are Afraid To Speak Out Against Comcast
By 4.14.14
Minnesota Senator Al Franken has made no effort to hide his opposition to the pending merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Now the actor/writer-turned-lawmaker is saying he wishes others would be more open about their feelings on the controversial deal. [More]
The Comcast Merger Isn’t About Lines on a Map; It’s About Controlling the Delivery of Information
By 4.12.14
Comcast and proposed merger partner Time Warner Cable claim they don’t compete because their service areas don’t overlap. They say that a combined company would happily divest itself of a few million customers to keeps its pay-TV market share below 30%, allowing other companies that don’t currently compete with Comcast to keep not competing with Comcast.
This narrow, shortsighted view fails to take into account the full breadth of what’s involved in this merger — broadcast TV, cable TV, network technology, in-home technology, access to the Internet, and much more. In addition to asking whether or not regulators should permit Comcast to add 10-12 million customers, there is a more important question at the core of this deal: Should Comcast be allowed to control both what content you consume and how you get to consume it? [More]
Seattle Mayor Takes Swipe At Comcast, Bites The Hand That Helped Elect Him
By 4.10.14
Last fall, a number of people watching the Seattle mayoral race were concerned about what influence Comcast would have on the city’s municipal broadband plan if candidate Ed Murray were elected. After all, the Kabletown Krew had dumped thousands of dollars into his campaign coffers. The now-Mayor Murray is attempting to show that he’s not a puppet for Comcast by issuing a thinly veiled ultimatum to the company. [More]
Comcast To Senate: “Bigger Is A Good Thing”
By 4.9.14
This morning, executives from Comcast and Time Warner Cable attempted to make a case to the Senate Judiciary Committee for the proposed $45 billion merger of the two companies, and the skeptical panel of lawmakers wanted to know what benefits this combination of the country’s two largest cable/Internet providers would bring to anyone other than the companies’ shareholders and the TWC execs who will be given huge paychecks to leave the merged company. [More]
Comcast Officially Files for TWC Merger, Claims Broadband Competition Is Fine Because You Have A Smartphone
By 4.8.14
It’s a big day for Comcast: not only did they win a big old golden poo this morning, but also they formally took the first step in the regulatory dance that stands between them and their purchase of Time Warner Cable by filing a mountain of paperwork with the FCC. The massive document contains all of Comcast’s explanations for why the merger is the best idea ever… and it’s a doozy. Let’s take a closer look at their arguments, shall we? [More]
Congratulations To Comcast, Your 2014 Worst Company In America!
April 8, 2014
Four years since winning its first Worst Company tournament, Comcast’s doubted that the Kabletown Krusher could ever regain that 2010 form. But after a few years of letting others hold the title, Comcast was fiercely intent on bringing a second Golden Poo to its Philadelphia lair. And in one of the narrowest Final Death Matches in the centuries’ long history of WCIA battle, Comcast managed to hold the genetically modified body blows of Monsanto. [More]
Comcast Or Monsanto: Who Will Win The Worst Company In America 2014 Final Death Match?
April 7, 2014
A seed company and a cable company are all that remain of the 32 bad businesses that paraded into the Worst Company In America Arenadome only a few weeks back. One is a battle-tested vet with a Golden Poo on its mantlepiece; the other a tournament newcomer who doesn’t seem put off by its competitor’s years of experience. Both of today’s Final Death Match contenders dream of a world where they are the only supplier in their respective industries, and will go to any means necessary to make that dream a reality. [More]
Stories You Might Have Missed Because You Were Too Busy Being Awesome
April 5, 2014
We post a lot of stories during the week, and we know that most of you have jobs, families, lives, hobbies, nagging itches and other more important things to do than read every single thing we write. So for those who might be playing catch-up on the weekend, here are some of the things you might have missed… [More]
Who Will Go Head-To-Head In The Worst Company In America Final Death Match?
April 4, 2014
When the sun rose this morning over the Worst Company In America Salvage Yard, awakening Rusty the lazy junkyard dog who couldn’t scare off a squirrel, four battered, bruised, nauseated, and bed-headed contenders greeted the dawn in contemplative silence, knowing that two of them would be gone by sundown. In their hearts, they hoped to survive the day while the doubting devils whispering in their ears reminded them that a loss could bring sweet relief, an end to the ceaseless brutality of the last few weeks; a victory just meant one more brawl. Now, as we cart the defeated off the battlefield, we leave behind one tournament vet and one WCIA rookie to prepare for Monday’s Final Death Match. [More]
Comcast: We Don’t Have Data Caps, We Have “Data Thresholds”
By 4.4.14
In its ongoing effort to put lipstick on the pig that is its planned acquisition of Time Warner Cable, Comcast is once again attempting to hide behind double-speak. First, it claimed that it was the greatest supporter of net neutrality around, when it really meant that it was the biggest supporter of what Comcast believes net neutrality should be. Now, another Comcast executive is trying to downplay data caps with the more marketing-friendly term “data thresholds.” [More]
Presenting The Final Four Contenders For Worst Company In America 2014
April 3, 2014
Can it be? Has there really been so much bloodshed is so little time? It seems like only yesterday when the field of contenders stood before you at the opening ceremonies, waving their logo flags while proudly sporting their WCIA sweaters that Ralph Lauren’s distant cousin Kevin designed especially for the occasion. Now the industrial grade carpeting of the Worst Company Padded Playroom is stained with… well, you don’t actually want to know what all is in there; don’t worry, our friend Terry got us a good deal on a cleaning service and you’d be surprised what a well-placed area rug can cover. But back to more pressing matters… [More]
