1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech Stuff, a production from I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. I'm your host, 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive producer with I Heart Radio 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: and how the Tech Area. It's time for a classic episode. 5 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: Last week we had the Comcast Story Part one as 6 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: our classic episode. So guess what this week it's the 7 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: Comcast Story Part two. Who to thunk it? This episode 8 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: originally published on November eleven, two thousand fifteen. As I 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: said last week, I'm pretty sure we're due for a 10 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: part three. I'm gonna have to get to work on 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: that and um and pair it with these previous episodes 12 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: so that we can, you know, have a fuller picture. 13 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: In fact, by the time you hear this this uh, 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: this classic episode, maybe I will have already done that 15 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: because I record the classics in batches, and I think 16 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: I'm about four months ahead now, so maybe by the 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: time this classic publishes, I will have already done part three. 18 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: It's like time travel, but more boring. Anyway, let's sit 19 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: back and listen to the Comcast Story Part two. We 20 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: talked about the founding and the rise of of Brian Roberts, 21 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: the son of founder Ralph J. Roberts. I thought i'd 22 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: pick up specifically right there. This is going back to 23 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: n that's when Ralph J. Roberts named his son, Brian Roberts, 24 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: the president of Comcast. Not the time, Brian was just 25 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: thirty years old, and the announcement caused a bit of 26 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: a stir because here's this young guy taking over the 27 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: role of president of a major cable company that had 28 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: been making some pretty pretty hefty moves in the industry. Now, 29 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: Ralph J. Roberts said he would stay on as the 30 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: chairman of the company. And while thirty is pretty darn 31 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: young to be the president of a rapidly growing company, 32 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: Brian had actually been working for Comcast in one way 33 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: or another since before he was ten years old. According 34 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: to some reports, he was seven when he started working, 35 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: which meant they had twenty three years of experience working 36 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 1: for Comcast. I do question exactly what he was doing 37 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: at seven years old, but that's the story, at least 38 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: in certain Comcast literature. But that would mean that he 39 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: was actually one of the more senior employees of Comcast. 40 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: He had worked there longer than a lot of other 41 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: people there, so at least from a seniority standpoint, it 42 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: wasn't that unusual, although some might argue that it was 43 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: a little weird for a father to name his son 44 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: the president of the company he founded. At any rate, 45 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: Brian Roberts definitely dedicated himself to the success of the company, 46 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: there was no question about that. Around that time, operations 47 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: were continuing to grow in Britain. If you listen to 48 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: the last episode, you know that one of the things 49 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: Comcast looked at in the eighties was to expand in 50 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: in the UK because it was starting to get really 51 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 1: difficult to grow in the United States. They were starting 52 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: to reach full penetration of cable service and the few 53 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: cable companies that were left were really expensive and limited 54 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: in their range, so they looked elsewhere. Well By, they 55 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 1: had one million customers in the United Kingdom, and Comcast 56 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,839 Speaker 1: made additional purchases in the cell phone space as well 57 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: here in the United States in order to grow its business, 58 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 1: as m Cell was not growing as quickly as the 59 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: company had hoped. If you remember, m Cell was the 60 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: cable the cell phone service company they purchased in an 61 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: effort to get into a new field. But am Cell 62 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: kind of suffering the same issues that the cable service 63 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: industry was suffering and that people weren't necessarily flocking to 64 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: M cell to become customers. So instead of trying to 65 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: push that business out harder, Comcast looked at acquiring additional 66 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: cell phone service companies to bolster its customer base US 67 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: that way, so if growth isn't there, you should just 68 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: go out and buy it, I guess. In the headquarters 69 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: for a Comcast, which were located at one Meridian Plaza 70 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia, caught fire. The building was totally destroyed. The 71 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: fire took nineteen hours to extinguish, so Comcast as actually 72 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: the corporate headquarters was shut down for about eight days 73 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: until they set up a temporary headquarters four blocks away 74 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: from their original burnt out home. Also in Comcast held 75 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: a bit of a marketing stunt. They completed a five 76 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: way international phone call to demonstrate you don't need a 77 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: telephone company to make a call, even a complicated one, 78 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: and that really prompted telephone companies to argue that they 79 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,719 Speaker 1: should be allowed to enter the cable television business, since 80 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: the cable television business was now dominating in the phone business, 81 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: at least in cell phone coverage. Also in Comcast, bought 82 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: interest in Store Communications, the company that had previously sold 83 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: as Florida Operations to several years earlier. You remember I 84 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: mentioned that in the previous episode, and Comcast became the 85 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: third largest cable operator in the United States after it 86 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: acquired the US cable operations of McLean Hunter. The company 87 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,119 Speaker 1: also launched a new public company in the UK called 88 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: Comcast UK Cable Partners and Comcast made golfers extremely happy 89 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,679 Speaker 1: when they partnered with a few other companies and became 90 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: a founding investor of the Golf Channel, which, as I recall, 91 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: was one of the earliest channels to offer high definition programming. 92 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: That was a little bit later, but thank goodness you 93 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: could watch golf and high definition. I find golf very 94 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 1: relaxing to watch. I that's the best thing I can 95 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: say about it. I guess I certainly takes skill to play, 96 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: and I lack it at any rate. That year, Comcast 97 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: also entered a partnership with Sprint UH Telecommunications Incorporated and 98 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: Cox Communications, and together they formed the Sprint Telecommunications Venture, 99 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 1: which was later called Sprint Spectrum LP and later still 100 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: was called Sprint PCs. So once again, Comcast continues to 101 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: try and diversify, expanding into cellular service and wireless service. 102 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: Comcast itself would continue to grow mainly through acquisitions. As 103 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: we've seen in our previous episode, the company would buy 104 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: up other cable operators and mostly expand that way, eliminating 105 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: competition along the way, which certainly helped and in Comcast 106 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: had more than four point three million customers, mainly through 107 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: this tactic of buying up existing companies and converting them 108 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: into Comcast, so customers found themselves becoming Comcast customers just 109 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: through these acquisitions. Comcast bought a sixty three percent share 110 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: of the Philadelphia Flyers from a company called Spectacre, which 111 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: was created by Flyers founder Ed Snyder. Comcast had created 112 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: a new company with this partnership, and it's now called 113 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: Comcast Spectacre. The company not only owns and manages the Flyers, 114 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: but also the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, and the 115 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: company has divisions overseeing the venue, ticketing and concessions. This 116 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: is not the only sporting franchise that Comcast owns. There 117 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: are others in the Philadelphia area as well, which makes sense. 118 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: I mean, that's again where Comcast headquarters are, That's where 119 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: a couple of the co founders of Comcast grew up 120 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: and uh they are still very much heavily involved in 121 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: the sports area of Philadelphia. Comcast also announced it would 122 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: create a new channel in Philadelphia just called Comcast sports Net, 123 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: specifically a regional sports channel for the Philadelphia area. And finally, 124 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: in nineteen Comcast got into the broadband business. The company 125 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: launched a service called Comcast at Home, with the AT 126 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: being the AT symbol, and they launched it in Baltimore, Maryland, 127 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: and Sarasota, Florida, kind of as a sort of prototype. 128 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: They're they're testing grounds. They wanted to see if this 129 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: business would have any legs, and the trial run offered 130 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: a cable modem service to customers and as it turned out, 131 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: and ended up being a fruitful business, which Comcast quickly 132 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: began to adopt and roll out in other areas. In 133 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: nineteen seven, another major company took interest in Comcast, and 134 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: that major company is Microsoft. So Bill Gates's company invested 135 00:08:54,360 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: one billion dollars in Comcast in ninete. The purpose of 136 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: that investment was to help Comcast deploy high speed data 137 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: and video services through its infrastructure. So Comcast was starting 138 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: to look at ways of creating a fiber optic coaxial 139 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: sort of system, replacing lots of copper lines with fiber 140 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: optic lines to deliver much faster service. And it was 141 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: through this investment that Comcast was able to afford that 142 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: infrastructure without affecting its operating funds too much. And in 143 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,319 Speaker 1: this way, this was a step to move towards the 144 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 1: world we live in now, in which people in the 145 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: United States can get high speed Internet streaming to different 146 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: devices in the home and not just PCs. In fact, 147 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,440 Speaker 1: in the press release that Microsoft VP of Corporate Development, 148 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: Greg Maffei had taken part in, MAFE had said, like Comcast, 149 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 1: Microsoft has always believed that increasing network bandwidth is a 150 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:56,679 Speaker 1: key to the eventual convergence of the Internet, the PC, 151 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: and the television. So even then there was a look 152 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: at we're using these pipes in the parlance of the web. 153 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: We're using these pipes to deliver TV and to deliver broadband. Broadband, 154 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: by the way, is being delivered over Why of those 155 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: six mega hurts channels that I talked about in the 156 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: first episode that cable can you cable can hold hundreds 157 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: of mega hurts, So broadband internet connection is just six 158 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 1: mega hurts of a cable that's plenty of space available 159 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 1: for that. We'll be back with more about Comcast and 160 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:46,439 Speaker 1: its history after this quick break. So Microsoft was saying, 161 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: we've got this delivery system that's doing both television and Internet. 162 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: It's only a matter of time before we start to 163 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: see these different technologies start to converge into a single technology. 164 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: And as it turns out, that's very much true. It 165 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: took a little bit longer than what they were expecting, 166 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 1: I imagine, but that's what we're seeing now. A lot 167 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: of people either have smart televisions or they have their 168 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: TVs hooked up to one or more set top devices 169 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: that allows them to view Internet content on their televisions. 170 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: And there are some who argue that eventually that will 171 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: be the primary and perhaps only way that will get 172 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: content on our TVs. That we won't receive programming from 173 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: a cable service directly. It will be through an Internet service. 174 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: And that's quite possible. Well more and more people are 175 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: opting for that, as we'll say later in the episode. 176 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: At any rate, by this time, cable television wasn't even 177 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: the largest division within Comcast. Cable tv was taking a 178 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 1: back seat. Uh, So Comcast had interest in content and 179 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,439 Speaker 1: cellular services, and there were growing concerns that the company 180 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: in charge of delivering content was also in the business 181 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 1: of creating content, and those concerns would grow over the 182 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: following years. This is where you started seeing people make 183 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: noise about net neutrality. How can a delivery system remain 184 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: unbiased when it also was creating content being delivered on 185 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: that system. In other words, if you are a company 186 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: that creates content and you're also a company that allows 187 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: content to be delivered to customers, how can anyone be 188 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: certain that you don't give your own content preferential treatment. 189 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,560 Speaker 1: Maybe you slow down other types of content across your network, 190 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: maybe you don't allow it to even broadcast on your network. 191 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: Maybe you tell your customers, hey, the stuff we have 192 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 1: is the best stuff out there. You don't need anything else. 193 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 1: These were big concerns, and while Comcast was largely playing nice, uh, 194 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:57,559 Speaker 1: it was a it was a worry that perhaps in 195 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,199 Speaker 1: the future that would not be the case. And so 196 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: we really started getting into the conversations about net neutrality 197 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: around this time. I mean they had been around before that, 198 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: but this is when it really started to take more 199 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: of a spotlight, and that would increase over the years. 200 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: Skipping ahead to two thousand one, Comcast bought the Outdoor 201 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: Life Network and expanded its investment in the Golf Channel, 202 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 1: which ended up giving Comcast controlling interest in that network. 203 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: And it also announced it would purchase a T and 204 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 1: T Broadband for a cool seventy two billion dollars. At 205 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: that time, a T and T Broadband was the largest 206 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: cable TV provider in the United States. So Comcast both 207 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: eliminates some competition and grows its own cable television services 208 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 1: by buying another service. Uh, which no big surprise again 209 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: if you're looking back along the history of Comcast, that 210 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: was the tactic from day one. Really. In two thousand two, 211 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: Comcast unveiled plans for HD television and video on demand services. Again, 212 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 1: the Golf Channel was one of those early HD channels. 213 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: As I recall, this was, you know, one of those 214 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: things where the United States was definitely trailing behind Japan 215 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: by several years. But HD television's back in the early 216 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: two thousand's were really expensive. I don't know if you 217 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: guys remember, because these days, you know, you can go 218 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: out and buy an HD television for a relatively low cost. Still, 219 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: several hundred dollars. But you know, when you start looking 220 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: at things like four K televisions, they are relatively inexpensive. 221 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: HD ones, that is, HD are relatively inexpensive compared to 222 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: four K, but just like four K. Now, back then, 223 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: there were very few channels that actually offered up h 224 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: D content. So you can get an HD television, but 225 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: there wasn't much to watch on it at the time. 226 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: The Golf Channel was one of those things, so if 227 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: you really like golf, you can get a really good 228 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: look at it. Uh. Also, Brian Roberts assumed the role 229 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: of CEO of the company, becoming president and CEO in 230 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: two thousand two. Not long after that, he would actually 231 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: also assume the role of chairman, so became president, CEO 232 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: and chairman of Comcast. Again, keep in mind this is 233 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: the son of the founder, Ralph J. Roberts. In two 234 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: thousand four, Comcast made an unsuccessful bid for a hostile 235 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: takeover for the Walt Disney Company. Now that might sound 236 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: pretty weird, because today Disney is bigger than ever. Disney 237 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: owns so much. Disney bought Marvel, Disney bought the Star 238 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: Wars franchise. The movies are doing really well, But in 239 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: the early two thousand's, Disney was in turmoil. There were 240 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: leadership issues. People were disenchanted with Michael Eisner as the 241 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: chairman of Walt Disney. The company itself was not doing 242 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: as well in the market as it had been previously. 243 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: Some people were beginning to feel that Disney itself had 244 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 1: the company had lost its way, and people like Roy Disney, 245 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 1: who had been on the board of directors, seemed to 246 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 1: be in dismay at the state of the company. So 247 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: the bid was somewhere in the fifty four billion dollar range, 248 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: and it was based on stock price. It was going 249 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: to be a stock exchange deal if this were to 250 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: actually go through. But it was a hostile takeover. And 251 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: what does that mean. Well, originally Comcast was sending messages 252 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: to Disney chairman Michael Eisner, but Eisener refused to discuss 253 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: a deal. Then Comcast went over Eisner's head and sent 254 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: a letter of intent directly to the board of directors saying, 255 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: we want to purchase your company. Here the here's the 256 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: deal where we want to do it in stock. The 257 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: stock is currently valued at fifty four billion dollars. Now 258 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: Disney itself was being valued somewhere in the sixty six 259 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: billion dollar range. H but again, it was kind of 260 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: struggling at the time. So comcast hope was that the 261 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: Board of directors would come and talk to Comcast and 262 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: they would be able to work this out, and that 263 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: uh you know, maybe the word board of directors thought 264 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: this would be the best approach in order to make 265 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: money for shareholders for Disney shareholders, and the attempt was 266 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: huge news because the number of properties that would have 267 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: been involved were significant. Disney at that time was already 268 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: the parent company of ESPN and ABC, so those would 269 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: fall under the role of Comcast. Then Comcast the delivery 270 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: system would also be in control of ABC and ESPN, 271 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: and people were worried that this would mean Comcast would 272 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:48,880 Speaker 1: be able to leverage that over other providers. So let's 273 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: say Time Warner Cable and it comes up and Comcast says, hey, 274 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: I own ESPN, and if you want ESPN to run 275 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: on your cable networks to your cable customers, you're gonna 276 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: have to pay X amount to have access to that content. Uh, 277 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: you know, it would have been a very powerful leveraging tool, 278 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: but there was no need to worry about that. The 279 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 1: deal actually fell through when shareholders for both Disney and 280 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: Comcast were resisting the move for different reasons. Comcast stock 281 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 1: price fell eleven percent over the time from when they 282 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: announced the bid to the time when they decided to 283 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:29,439 Speaker 1: walk away. Now, because the stock price fell eleven percent, 284 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: and because their bid was about an exchange of stock, 285 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:41,640 Speaker 1: the value of the stock they were bidding fell, I mean, 286 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: it wasn't as valuable as it used to be. This 287 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,400 Speaker 1: would be as if I went up to you and said, hey, 288 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 1: I want to buy your shoes for ten bucks, and 289 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 1: you say, well, I'll think about it, and the next 290 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:53,880 Speaker 1: day I come up to you with a ten dollar bill. 291 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: But in that time, the value of ten dollars has decreased, 292 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: meaning the buying power of that ten dollars is less. 293 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: It's similar, except now we're talking about actual stock, not 294 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: the value of currency. But the point being that what 295 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: used to be worth fifty four billion dollars was now 296 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: worth less than that, So that made it a much 297 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 1: less attractive deal for the Disney board of directors. Meanwhile, 298 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: the board of the board of Directors are also getting 299 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: the message from their shareholders, we don't want you to 300 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: sell this company to Comcast, and since both parties were 301 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: receiving this kind of resistance, Comcast announced it would drop 302 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: the bid just a few months after it had first 303 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: announced its intention and uh and Roberts had said he 304 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 1: was very disappointed in the Disney board of directors for 305 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: not coming in and communicating with him. He thought that 306 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: it was the best deal for both companies. Meanwhile, the 307 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: board of directors didn't uh didn't really dignify that particular 308 00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:01,199 Speaker 1: statement with a response. Also into the and for Comcast 309 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: purchased a little company called tech TV and who boy, 310 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: is this a heck of a story. So Comcast carried 311 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 1: a company a channel called G four, which catered to 312 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,960 Speaker 1: video game fans. It was mostly content related to video 313 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: games in some way, including things like review shows, shows 314 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: that just did clips of video games, uh, game shows 315 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: that were video game related, lots of stuff like that. 316 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: Tech TV, on the other hand, was a more general 317 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: technology based channel where they had everything from product reviews 318 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: to h question and answer like people could call in 319 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 1: and ask experts how to do certain things with their computers, 320 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: like how to install motherboards, that kind of stuff like 321 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: actual technical help UM, as well as shows that were 322 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: things like like they had their own video game review shows, 323 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: so there were there were competing shows on the two channels. 324 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 1: So Comcast purchases tech TV in two thousand four and 325 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: then merges it with G four, creating the G four 326 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,120 Speaker 1: Tech TV channel, and then kind of letting the two 327 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 1: slates of of programming battle it out to see which 328 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: ones would remain and which ones they would get rid of. 329 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: And I've got a lot of friends who worked either 330 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 1: for G four or tech TV, and I hope to 331 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: do an episode in the future. I've already recorded some 332 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: interviews about this. Actually, I hope to do an episode 333 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: in the future about tech TV and G four and 334 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:40,640 Speaker 1: the merging of the two, and to include interview segments 335 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: that I have gathered over time. So that's something I 336 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: want to do in the future, and it will definitely 337 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: be a long episode, probably a multi partner because it 338 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,960 Speaker 1: was so complicated. It was a venture that people when 339 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 1: when these channels first started, they were really excited about 340 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: them because this was these were industry is that were 341 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: all getting more and more important. Over time. People were 342 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 1: getting more interested in technology and computers and video games. 343 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: But when you get these big corporations like Comcast involved, 344 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 1: sometimes the ideas that people had when they first founded 345 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: the channel end up getting changed or lost or or discarded, 346 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,679 Speaker 1: and uh, it creates a very emotional kind of story. 347 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 1: So keep in tune with tech stuff. Let me know 348 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: if that sounds interesting to you, because I do hope 349 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: to do it in the future. I still have to 350 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 1: do several more interviews in order to get kind of 351 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,399 Speaker 1: a full story of it. We're about to wrap up 352 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: the Comcast story as of two thousand and fifteen at 353 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 1: any rate, but first we need to take another quick 354 00:22:44,680 --> 00:23:00,160 Speaker 1: break moving on with Comcast. By the way, GIF tech 355 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 1: TV doesn't exist anymore. In case you were wondering if 356 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: if you weren't aware, G four tech TV eventually went 357 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,919 Speaker 1: away and I believe became the Spike Network. If I'm 358 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 1: not mistaken, or it's no, it's Esquire, I'm sorry, it's 359 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: the Esquare network. I believe um Esquire would eventually take 360 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: over for G four tech TV, and so that channel 361 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: no longer exists and a lot of good people worked 362 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:28,959 Speaker 1: for that channel over time. Anyway, two thousand five, Comcast 363 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 1: joins a group of investors, which included Sony Corporation of America, 364 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,880 Speaker 1: to purchase a twenty steak in Metro Goldwyn Meyer better 365 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: known as MGM Studios, so the entertainment studios that produced 366 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: lots of movies, including the James Bond franchise. It turned 367 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: out to be a pretty tough investment, so five years later, 368 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: in two thousand ten, MGM would file for Chapter eleven 369 00:23:55,640 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: bankruptcy and they would emerge from bankruptcy after a little 370 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 1: more than a month after entering bankruptcy with the creditors 371 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: MGMs creditors taking control of the company. So that was 372 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,360 Speaker 1: a pretty rough time. I mean, it was an investment, 373 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:16,399 Speaker 1: it was a gamble, and unfortunately for the investors, the 374 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,439 Speaker 1: market for DVDs was really falling out by that point 375 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: and that ended up taking a big hit. MGM took 376 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 1: a big hit from that. That same year two five 377 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:30,199 Speaker 1: that is, Comcast unveiled at digital phone service and plans 378 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: to purchase internet businesses, further getting involved in both the 379 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 1: delivery and production of cable content both on TV and 380 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: on the Internet. So if you have ever looked at 381 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:45,199 Speaker 1: Comcast Exfinity, which is the brand for their digital service 382 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: to homes, you often will see that it can be 383 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: bundled where you get phone service, cable television, and Internet 384 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: broadband all bundled together. That's, you know, a calculated approach 385 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:03,360 Speaker 1: that com guests made back in this time. In two 386 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: thousand seven, that's when Comcast actually acquired Fandango, the movie 387 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: ticket service, the one that kind of precipitated this whole 388 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 1: discussion about Comcast in the first place, because if you 389 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: recall from episode one of this series, I mentioned that 390 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 1: I started looking into this after I had problems buying 391 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: Star Wars tickets because the Fandango service had been overwhelmed 392 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: by demand and it pretty much collapsed. By the way, 393 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 1: in case you were worried, I did eventually get Star 394 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 1: Wars tickets for opening night. I just had to wait 395 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: till the next morning. It's just I am not a 396 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 1: good Jedi. I don't have patience, So it was a tough, 397 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: tough twenty four hours or so. At any rate, Comcast 398 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: purchased Fandango back in two thousand and seven, and uh, 399 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:58,959 Speaker 1: Fandango is one of those services that I personally find 400 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 1: a little rustrating. I much prefer when movie theaters have 401 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: their own, uh theater specific services to to sell tickets 402 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: to customers, because you don't have to worry if there's 403 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:18,160 Speaker 1: a huge amount of demand for the overall film, typically speaking, 404 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: because it's distributed amongst all those theaters. It's when you 405 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: have a centralized service where all that demand is going 406 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: to a single collection of servers where you start running 407 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: into these problems. And granted the Star Wars issue was 408 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 1: a special case, it's not like that's going to happen 409 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 1: with every movie. For example, Jim and the Holograms. Don't 410 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 1: think that one's going to collapse the system, even though 411 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: it's truly outrageous, truly, truly, truly outrageous. So two thousand seven, 412 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:56,439 Speaker 1: Fendango acquisition happens. UM I could go on about the 413 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: cable service companies that Comcast acquired over the next few 414 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,919 Speaker 1: years is but by now you guys are all familiar 415 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: with that story. It's the same story over and over. 416 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: It's just the names and the prices change from case 417 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: to case. In an effort to grow the company and 418 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: increase the number of customers, Comcast kept acquiring other businesses, 419 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:22,360 Speaker 1: including ones like Patriot Media, Susquehanna Communications, and others. UH 420 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: and Comcast and Time Warner together would split up the 421 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: assets of another company called Adelphia Communications. Adelphia had gone 422 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 1: bankrupt and so as part of the UH in order 423 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: to settle the debt that Adelphia had acquired, they started 424 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: selling off assets, and Comcast and Time Warner we're both 425 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: allowed to buy up some of those, which not great 426 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: news necessarily if you wanted more competition, uh, since these 427 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 1: were the two big players in the United States at 428 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 1: that same time. Comcast continued to launch channels like fear 429 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: Net and Exercise TV, and so they were controlling the 430 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: distribution and content in an effort to set itself apart 431 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 1: from competing cable and satellite services. Also, the Walt Disney Company, 432 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: while it was not open to a hostile takeover bid, 433 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: it did sell off its thirty nine share in the 434 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,400 Speaker 1: E Networks to Comcast. So Comcast was able to pick 435 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: up a significant share in those those uh, those companies, 436 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: those those networks, they didn't have controlling interest, but is 437 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 1: nothing to sneeze at now. That doesn't even cover the 438 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 1: continued interest in wireless broadband. Comcast was one of the 439 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 1: companies that invested in clear Wire Corporation, for example, so 440 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: Comcast was still very much interested in expanding in that 441 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: industry as well. And the next really big big piece 442 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: of news dates to two thousand nine and that's when 443 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 1: it was announced that g E had agreed to sell 444 00:28:55,880 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 1: controlling stake in NBC Universal to Comcast. Now, the approval 445 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: for this deal would take quite some time. Congress scrutinized 446 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 1: this deal, and it wasn't until two thousand eleven that 447 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 1: Congress approved the deal, and the acquisition itself wouldn't be 448 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 1: complete until two thousand thirteen. So from two thousand nine 449 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 1: to two thousand thirteen this deal was taking place. That's 450 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: how big a deal we're talking about here. And the 451 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: approval from Congress was actually conditional. It wasn't yeah, go 452 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 1: ahead and you can buy them. And they actually had 453 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: some some specific conditions that the companies had to adhere to. 454 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: Comcast had to make assurances that it wouldn't prevent NBC 455 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:42,720 Speaker 1: programming from airing on competing broadcast services. They couldn't just say, well, 456 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: now anything that's on NBC can only air on Comcast, 457 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: or it can air on other stations, but only if 458 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: you pay an outrageous premium for the broadcast. That was 459 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 1: part of the agreement that Comcast would not make those 460 00:29:56,320 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 1: kind of moves um. It also sparked another round of 461 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: discussions about net neutrality, making certain delivery services aren't so 462 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: wrapped up in programming that they begin to tinker with accessibility. 463 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 1: And uh, this is still a big deal today. I mean, 464 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,840 Speaker 1: this is a giant thing about about these distribution companies 465 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: getting involved in content on this level, and as they 466 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: own more and more of it, there's a greater concern 467 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: that they will cause real issues for customers, that it 468 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,240 Speaker 1: hurts the customer In the long run. It's a great 469 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 1: business decision, you know, from the business side, you can't 470 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: argue it because it's gonna make tons of money for shareholders. 471 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: But as a customer, as the person who comes home 472 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: and wants to watch television, it's a negative experience, or 473 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: it can be. It can certainly lead to one. So 474 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: that's why these conditions were built in to the agreement. 475 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: And then in two thousand and fourteen, skipping ahead to that, 476 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:58,959 Speaker 1: Comcast made a move to acquire its competitor, Time Warner 477 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: Cable and this is when the Internet totally lost its mind. 478 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 1: For very good reason. This action, more than any other, 479 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: brought that net neutrality argument into the spotlight. Comcast was 480 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 1: essentially saying that they wanted to buy its chief competitor, 481 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: which would drastically reduce options for customers in numerous markets, 482 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: which Comcast actually argued was a benefit to the customer 483 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:27,720 Speaker 1: if you can believe it. Now, keep in mind again, 484 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:31,719 Speaker 1: and most markets, customers don't have that much choice. They 485 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: might have a choice of one cable provider and maybe 486 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: one or two satellite providers, which is getting fewer and 487 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 1: fewer anyway because of other acquisitions and consolidations. But that's it. 488 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: They don't necessarily you know, it's it's it's rare. When 489 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 1: you're in an area where you're like, well, I can 490 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: get either Time Warner or I can get Comcast. It 491 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: may be that you have either Comcast or a mobile 492 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 1: wireless provider or satellite, and that's it. You don't have 493 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 1: option between cable companies in other words, and that is problematic. 494 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: And Comcast was arguing that by buying Time Warner it 495 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 1: would actually be an improvement to customers by streamlining everything. 496 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: But when asked about it, when when people said, well, 497 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 1: does this mean that since there be no competition, you 498 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: could lower the customer bill, they said no, not necessarily. So, 499 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: in other words, customers would not see any benefit from this. 500 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: The the benefits of competition are that companies will start 501 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 1: to offer better prices and better options for customers in 502 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: an effort to win more customers. But when you don't 503 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: have competition, there's no reason to do that. In fact, 504 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: you want to have higher prices because you can't go 505 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: anywhere else for those services. That's the reason why monopolies 506 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: are frowned upon and and normally either prevented or broken up. Although, 507 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: as we talked about in our A T and T podcast, 508 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: even the efforts to break up monopolies don't last forever. 509 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: Often these companies will coalesce back together kind of like 510 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: kind of like a planet getting broken up into space 511 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: and then the gravity's crushes all the pieces back together, 512 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 1: so you have a planet again. It's almost the same thing. Uh. Anyway, 513 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: I don't want to get off on a total rant there, 514 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: but if you listen to episodes about A T and 515 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: T about net neutrality, those sort of discussions go into 516 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: greater detail about this sort of stuff. Anyway. Uh, there 517 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:29,960 Speaker 1: are only a few markets that really allow you to 518 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,480 Speaker 1: have some choice in the United States, and that's a 519 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: real problem. And people opposed to the Time Warner deal 520 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 1: argued that if it went through, there'd be a true 521 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 1: monopoly in cable service in the United States, it would 522 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: belong to Comcast. Now, there were also numerous examples of 523 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 1: regions that were passing laws restricting public broadband initiatives. In 524 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:58,560 Speaker 1: other words, lobbyists for the cable industry we're working with 525 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: politicians to make difficult or even illegal for a government 526 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:06,280 Speaker 1: to offer broadband service as a utility. And there are 527 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: certain areas in the United States where this was a 528 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 1: big deal, specifically in places like Chattanooga. If Joe McCormick 529 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,960 Speaker 1: was in here, he's from Chattanooga, he could tell you 530 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 1: about the crazy fast Internet service that people in Chattanooga 531 00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: can get through municipal WiFi, and cable companies really battle 532 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: against that. They say it's unfair, which blows my mind, 533 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 1: but that would be an entirely different episode for me 534 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 1: to go into all of those details. At any rate, 535 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:40,720 Speaker 1: municipal broadband service became a battleground which continues to this day. 536 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: The Federal Communications Commission has ruled that states are allowed 537 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: to offer up broadband services, but cable interests are still 538 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: fighting that decision and appealing it and arguing that the 539 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 1: FCC doesn't really have the authority to make that statement. 540 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:59,359 Speaker 1: In the first place, just as they resist other competitors 541 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 1: like Google Fiber entering their turf. So what cable companies 542 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:07,360 Speaker 1: have done is they've divided up the United States into 543 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 1: into neighborhoods that they can effectively control because they're the 544 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,200 Speaker 1: only party in town, and then they do their best 545 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:18,760 Speaker 1: to keep everybody else out. And again, this makes perfect 546 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 1: sense from a business perspective. You don't want competition to 547 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:26,480 Speaker 1: come in and shake things up. But for customers it's 548 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:29,879 Speaker 1: not such a great story. So it gets pretty ugly 549 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:32,799 Speaker 1: and a lot of people, especially on my side of this, 550 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 1: have a lot of harsh things to say. And I 551 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: will again try to avoid editorializing anymore than I already have. 552 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 1: Uh And it's it's entirely possible that I have blinders 553 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:48,399 Speaker 1: on here. It's not like I think that the other 554 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:53,359 Speaker 1: companies are necessarily altruistic, but I always like to see 555 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: more competition rather than less. Anyway, back to Time Warner. 556 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: That's what started this whole digression of the first place, 557 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,719 Speaker 1: was the proposal for Comcast to acquire Time Warner. The 558 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: deal would involve around forty five billion dollars in stock, 559 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:12,399 Speaker 1: and Congress began to scrutinize the deal, and a lot 560 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,920 Speaker 1: of advocacy groups were calling for the deal to just 561 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 1: be outright rejected. Comcast agreed to divest itself of nearly 562 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:24,760 Speaker 1: four million subscribers, essentially handing them over to Charter Communications, 563 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 1: and this was supposed to be a sign of good faith, 564 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: saying Comcast had no plan on taking over the entire industry. 565 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 1: Charter Communications would still be there and they had three 566 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:37,400 Speaker 1: point nine million more subscribers than they had before because 567 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 1: Comcast was giving them up. So see, there's competition. There's 568 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:44,759 Speaker 1: still Charter Communications. It's not like by buying time Warder 569 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 1: all cable would be Comcast for now, never mind the 570 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: fact that once again there's not true competition in most markets. Anyway, 571 00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 1: while the deal was being considered, a T and T 572 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 1: also announced its plans to acquire Direct TV for forty 573 00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: nine billion dollars, which added fuel to the fire of 574 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:13,399 Speaker 1: people worried about net neutrality and about media consolidation. There 575 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:16,640 Speaker 1: were tons of people now looking at these two major 576 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: deals saying, we really need to think about this because 577 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 1: if we go down this pathway, customers could be really 578 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: hurt by the lack of choice. Further down, the road. 579 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:32,680 Speaker 1: In April two fifteen, Comcast and Time Warner announced that 580 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 1: they were dropping the deal after numerous challenges and delays 581 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 1: were brought up against it, and it was also rumored 582 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:42,759 Speaker 1: that the Department of Justice in the United States was 583 00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:45,319 Speaker 1: leaning towards denying the deal in the first place, so 584 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: walking away might have also been an attempt to make 585 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: it seem as though the two companies had arrived at 586 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:53,560 Speaker 1: this decision themselves, rather than it being forced upon them 587 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:58,560 Speaker 1: by another party. The ongoing challenges for Comcast today include 588 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,760 Speaker 1: the FCC wanting to classified broad band as a title 589 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:06,280 Speaker 1: to utility, which Comcast and other cable companies are challenging. 590 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 1: And also this is really troubling for cable companies, especially 591 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:15,759 Speaker 1: well specifically cable TV companies. There's a flagging interest in 592 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:19,839 Speaker 1: cable television. This is not a big surprise for most 593 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:21,719 Speaker 1: of my listeners. I'm sure, I bet there are a 594 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,360 Speaker 1: lot of you out there who are cable chord cutters. 595 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:26,960 Speaker 1: You know you've you've cut the chord for cable TV, 596 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,920 Speaker 1: and you get your entertainment through the Internet, but not 597 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 1: through television. You might feed the Internet to your TV, 598 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 1: but you're not getting it through cable TV. I'm sure 599 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:39,279 Speaker 1: there are a lot of you out there who are 600 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 1: doing that right now, and I bet there's some of 601 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:44,880 Speaker 1: you out there who are fall into the category that 602 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:49,720 Speaker 1: is now being called cord never's. Cord never's are people 603 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:53,359 Speaker 1: who have never subscribed to cable television. So we're talking 604 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,800 Speaker 1: about young adults who have never taken it upon themselves 605 00:38:56,840 --> 00:39:00,359 Speaker 1: to get cable TV. They're not interested. It's not how 606 00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 1: they consume entertainment. They get everything they want through the 607 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: Internet or through over the air broadcast, but they've never 608 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,520 Speaker 1: seen the value of subscribing to a cable television service. 609 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 1: We're seeing both of those populations grow over time. Now 610 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: that means that cable television providers are experiencing a crunch. 611 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:21,839 Speaker 1: They're losing customers who are cutting the cord, and they're 612 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:24,879 Speaker 1: not gaining new customers fast enough because more and more 613 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:28,040 Speaker 1: people are choosing not to ever subscribe to cable TV 614 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:31,720 Speaker 1: in the first place. So you're getting a narrowing band 615 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 1: of customers for cable television, which is really created an 616 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 1: error of desperation in that industry. And it means that 617 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 1: you're getting some some pretty hard moves in that that 618 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:49,680 Speaker 1: industry and it could ultimately mean that in the future, 619 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:53,880 Speaker 1: our television content will primarily come through the Internet, and 620 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,480 Speaker 1: cable TV as a thing will no longer exist. The 621 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:01,600 Speaker 1: industry it self will cease, and we'll have a totally 622 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: different model for delivering television and creating television. That's a possibility. 623 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,320 Speaker 1: It's still going to take some time for that to happen. 624 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:12,799 Speaker 1: I mean, it's not like cable TV is in so 625 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: much trouble that it could crumble at any second. It's 626 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:20,840 Speaker 1: still a huge, multibillion dollar industry. It's just a multibillion 627 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 1: dollar industry that already is seeing loss of customers on 628 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:29,759 Speaker 1: either side of it, people leaving and new people not 629 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:32,959 Speaker 1: coming in. So it'll be really interesting to see where 630 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:36,720 Speaker 1: that goes over the next i'd say decade decade um. 631 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 1: I think we're gonna see more and more people turn 632 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:43,880 Speaker 1: to the Internet. We're gonna see more services like Netflix, Hulu, 633 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:50,080 Speaker 1: Amazon offering up their own original content that you can 634 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:53,040 Speaker 1: only get through those services. I know that Disney is 635 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 1: looking at the possibility of launching its own streaming service 636 00:40:56,600 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 1: as well, So it may be that in the future, 637 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:03,880 Speaker 1: instead of subscribing to a cable company and then picking 638 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,600 Speaker 1: a package that gives you certain channels. You may have 639 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:12,440 Speaker 1: to pick between different streaming video services. In fact, you 640 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 1: already do for certain things, like you might not be 641 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:19,840 Speaker 1: an Amazon Prime member, which means you don't get certain 642 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:24,040 Speaker 1: Amazon shows, or you might not be a Netflix subscriber, 643 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:27,480 Speaker 1: which means you don't get certain Netflix shows or Hulu. 644 00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: All of these have original content and in order to 645 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,160 Speaker 1: access it you have to subscribe to the to the 646 00:41:33,239 --> 00:41:37,239 Speaker 1: services generally speaking, so maybe in the future we have 647 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:40,200 Speaker 1: more and more of those, which puts the burden still 648 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:42,400 Speaker 1: on the customer. You have to decide what you're willing 649 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 1: to pay for and what you don't you feel is 650 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,040 Speaker 1: not worth the money. You just you just don't see it. 651 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:54,080 Speaker 1: But it's bad news for cable TV providers. Comcasts, however, 652 00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:56,680 Speaker 1: of course, is in the position where it's not just 653 00:41:56,880 --> 00:42:00,520 Speaker 1: a cable TV provider, it's a content provide fighter and 654 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:06,359 Speaker 1: its Internet broadband provider, so it has some other businesses 655 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:08,719 Speaker 1: that it wants to protect, and it may be that 656 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,840 Speaker 1: in the next few years we see Comcast doubled down 657 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 1: on Internet content and broadband delivery, We'll probably also see 658 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:23,399 Speaker 1: Comcast continue to fight competition in those spaces, specifically, things 659 00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:27,440 Speaker 1: like the entrance of Google Fiber into different regions. So 660 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:29,080 Speaker 1: that's what I think we're going to see in the future. 661 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 1: For Comcast. It's gonna be more of a focus on 662 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:40,400 Speaker 1: broadband um and and Internet content, and we'll price see 663 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:45,480 Speaker 1: some pretty tough battles for municipal WiFi, for municipal broadband, 664 00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:49,120 Speaker 1: for UH stuff like Google Fiber to be allowed to 665 00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:55,719 Speaker 1: come into neighborhoods, and personally encouraged by the direction I've 666 00:42:55,760 --> 00:43:00,600 Speaker 1: seen over the last year or two where it looks 667 00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:05,399 Speaker 1: like the general consensus is that competition is a good thing. 668 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:13,279 Speaker 1: I don't even hate Comcast specifically. I I I have 669 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 1: very strong opinions because of my own personal experience with 670 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:20,160 Speaker 1: this company. But that's my own personal experience and it's 671 00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:23,000 Speaker 1: not a universal experience, and I would never suggest that 672 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:26,719 Speaker 1: my experience is the same that everyone else has had. 673 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:30,680 Speaker 1: But I love to see competition because it means that 674 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:34,040 Speaker 1: customers have choice, and I would much prefer to have 675 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:38,920 Speaker 1: choice than to be forced into using a specific provider 676 00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:42,799 Speaker 1: because there is no other option, because that means that 677 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:46,520 Speaker 1: I can't weigh my options and make a decision. I 678 00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:52,520 Speaker 1: have no deciding power. Um By creating that sort of competition. 679 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:56,640 Speaker 1: I can make those decisions, and maybe I stay with Comcast. 680 00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:00,799 Speaker 1: Maybe I decided that's the best way for UH for 681 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:03,640 Speaker 1: me to get the access I need, or maybe I 682 00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:06,800 Speaker 1: switched to a competitor like Google Fiber, which is rolling 683 00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:10,640 Speaker 1: out service in Atlanta as I record this, UM and 684 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:13,320 Speaker 1: it will probably take another couple of years before that's complete. 685 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 1: But the fact is that I think the more choice 686 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:21,280 Speaker 1: you have, the better better off you are as a consumer, 687 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:25,120 Speaker 1: up to a point. Obviously, if you have five hundred choices, 688 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:27,920 Speaker 1: then you have another problem ahead of you, which is, 689 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,560 Speaker 1: how do you decide among five hundred candidates, which one 690 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:35,520 Speaker 1: is the best. I hope you enjoyed that classic series 691 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:37,880 Speaker 1: on Comcast. As I said, I planned to do a 692 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:40,359 Speaker 1: part three, and who knows, it may already be out. 693 00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:43,480 Speaker 1: In fact, maybe you listen to that one first, in 694 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:47,360 Speaker 1: which case, welcome back in time. And yeah, the cable 695 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:51,000 Speaker 1: industry has seen a lot of disruption over the last 696 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:55,520 Speaker 1: few years. We've seen a decline in cable subscriber numbers. 697 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 1: UM not from you know, I s P service like 698 00:44:58,719 --> 00:45:03,000 Speaker 1: actual cable SERVI this, but cable TV service certainly has 699 00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:06,520 Speaker 1: seen a decline. So it'll be interesting to see how 700 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:11,080 Speaker 1: these companies all pivot. We've seen evidence of that with 701 00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:14,680 Speaker 1: all the various acquisitions and mergers over the years. We're 702 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:18,680 Speaker 1: seeing it right now with Discovery, Warner Brothers, UM actually 703 00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:24,440 Speaker 1: Warner Brothers Discovery. Sorry I've mishmashed the names there, but yeah, 704 00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:29,760 Speaker 1: we're seeing cable networks, cable providers, all these companies try 705 00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:34,319 Speaker 1: and adjust to a world that's moving away from the 706 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:39,759 Speaker 1: cable TV UH format. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. 707 00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 1: If you have suggestions for topics I should cover on 708 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:44,400 Speaker 1: future episodes of tech Stuff, please reach out and let 709 00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:47,720 Speaker 1: me know. One way to do that is to download 710 00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: the I Heart radio app is free to download and use. 711 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:53,560 Speaker 1: You can navigate over to the tech Stuff part of 712 00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:55,719 Speaker 1: that app. Just search for tech Stuff in the search bar. 713 00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:58,719 Speaker 1: You'll see that there will be a little microphone icon 714 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:02,799 Speaker 1: on the Tech Stuff that lets you leave a voice 715 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:04,759 Speaker 1: message up to thirty seconds in length, and you can 716 00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:06,160 Speaker 1: let me know what you would like me to cover 717 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:09,000 Speaker 1: in future episodes. If you would prefer not to do that, 718 00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:11,560 Speaker 1: you can always leave me a message on Twitter. The 719 00:46:11,600 --> 00:46:14,799 Speaker 1: handle for the show is text Stuff hs W and 720 00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:24,320 Speaker 1: I'll talk to you again really soon. Y text Stuff 721 00:46:24,400 --> 00:46:27,560 Speaker 1: is an I heart Radio production. For more podcasts from 722 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:31,359 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 723 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:33,480 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.