1 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: Get in with technology with tech Stuff from Stuff Tachom. 2 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. I'm Jonathan Strickland here, 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: the moved host, and I am bringing to you part 4 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: two of the Tromcast story. In part one, you heard 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: about the founding of the company and the fledgling and 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: cable industry. Why the cable industry was even a thing 7 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: in the first place. It was originally just so people 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: who could not receive over the air broadcast could still 9 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: get some programming, especially as television became a more and 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: more important means of communication in the dawn of the 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: digital age, and actually the broadcast age, I should say 12 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 1: precedes the digital age. But we talked about the founding 13 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: and the rise of of Brian Roberts, the son of 14 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: founder Ralph J. Roberts. I thought i'd pick up specifically 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: right there. This is going back to nine teen ninety 16 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: that's when Ralph J. Roberts named his son, Brian Roberts, 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: the president of Comcast. Not at the time, Brian was 18 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: just thirty years old, and the announcement caused a bit 19 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 1: of a stir because here's this young guy taking over 20 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: the role of president of a major cable company. That 21 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: had been making some pretty pretty hefty moves in the industry. Now, 22 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: Ralph J. Roberts said he would stay on as the 23 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: chairman of the company. And while thirty is pretty darn 24 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: young to be the president of a rapidly growing company, 25 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: Brian had actually been working for Comcast in one way 26 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: or another since before he was ten years old. According 27 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: to some reports, he was seven when he started working, 28 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: which mean they had twenty three years of experience working 29 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: for Comcast. I do question exactly what he was doing 30 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: at seven years old, but that's the story, at least 31 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: in certain Comcast literature. But that would mean that he 32 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: was actually one of the more senior employees of Comcast. 33 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: He had worked there longer than a lot of other 34 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: people there, so at least from the seniority standpoint, it 35 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: wasn't that unusual, although some might argue that it was 36 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: a little weird for a father to name his son 37 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: the president of the company he founded. At any rate, 38 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: Brian Roberts definitely dedicated himself to the success of the company, 39 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: there was no question about that. Around that time, operations 40 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: were continuing to grow in Britain. If you listen to 41 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: the last episode, you know that one of the things 42 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: Comcast looked at in the eighties was to expand in 43 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: in the UK because it was starting to get really 44 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: difficult to grow in the United States. They were starting 45 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: to reach full penetration of cable service and the few 46 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: cable companies that were left were really expensive and limited 47 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: in their range, so they looked elsewhere. Well By had 48 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: one million customers in the United Kingdom, and Comcast made 49 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: additional purchases in the cell phone space as well here 50 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: in the United States in order to grow its business 51 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: as m CIL was not growing as quickly as the 52 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: company had hoped. If you remember, am Cell was the 53 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: cable the cell phone service company they purchased in an 54 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: effort to get into a new field. But am Cell 55 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: kind of suffering the same issues that the cable service 56 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: industry was suffering, and that people weren't necessarily flocking to 57 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: m Cell to become customers. So instead of trying to 58 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: push that business out harder, Comcast looked at acquiring additional 59 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: cell phone service companies to bolster its customer base. That way, 60 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: so if growth isn't there, you should just go out 61 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: and buy it, I guess. In the headquarters for a Comcast, 62 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: which were located at one Meridian Plaza in Philadelphia, caught fire. 63 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: The building was totally destroyed. The fire took nineteen hours 64 00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: to extinguish, so Comcast is actually the core headquarters was 65 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: shut down for about eight days until they set up 66 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: a temporary headquarters four blocks away from their original burnt 67 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: out home. Also in Comcast held a bit of a 68 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: marketing stunt. They completed a five way international phone call 69 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: to demonstrate you don't need a telephone company to make 70 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: a call, even a complicated one, and that really prompted 71 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: telephone companies to argue that they should be allowed to 72 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: enter the cable television business, since the cable television business 73 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: was now dominating in the phone business, at least in 74 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: cell phone coverage. Also in Comcast bought interest in Store Communications, 75 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: the company that had previously sold as Florida Operations to 76 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: several years earlier. You remember I mentioned that in the 77 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: previous episode. And Comcast became the third largest cable operator 78 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: in the United States after it acquired the US cable 79 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: operations of McLean Hunter. The company also launched a new 80 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: public company in the UK called Comcast UK Cable Partners, 81 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: and Comcast made golfers extremely happy when they partnered with 82 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: a few other companies and became a founding investor of 83 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: the Golf Channel, which, as I recall, was one of 84 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: the earliest channels to offer high definition programming. That was 85 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,679 Speaker 1: a little bit later, but thank goodness, you could watch 86 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:32,479 Speaker 1: golf and high definition. I find golf very relaxing to watch. 87 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: I that's the best thing I can say about it. 88 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: I guess I certainly takes skill to play, and I 89 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: lack it at any rate. That year, Comcast also entered 90 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: a partnership with Sprint UH Telecommunications Incorporated and Cox Communications, 91 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: and together they formed the Sprint Telecommunications Venture, which was 92 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 1: later called Sprint Spectrum LP and later still was called 93 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: Sprint PCs. So once again Comcast can and used to 94 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: try and diversify, expanding into cellular service and wireless service. 95 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: Comcast itself would continue to grow mainly through acquisitions. As 96 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 1: we've seen in our previous episode, the company would buy 97 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: up other cable operators and mostly expand that way, eliminating 98 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: competition along the way, which certainly helped and in Comcast 99 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: had more than four point three million customers, mainly through 100 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: this tactic of buying up existing companies and converting them 101 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 1: into Comcast, so customers found themselves becoming Comcast customers. Just 102 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: through these acquisitions, Comcast bought a sixty three percent share 103 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: of the Philadelphia Flyers from a company called Spectacre, which 104 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: was created by Flyers founder Ed Snyder. Comcast had created 105 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: a new company with this partnership, and it's now called 106 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: Comcast Spectacre. The company not only owns and manages the 107 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: Flyers and also the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, and 108 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: the company has divisions overseeing the venue, ticketing and concessions. 109 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: This is not the only sporting franchise that Comcast owns. 110 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: There are others in the Philadelphia area as well, which 111 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: makes sense. I mean, that's again where Comcast headquarters are. 112 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: That's where a couple of the co founders of Comcast 113 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: grew up, and uh, they are still very much heavily 114 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:31,679 Speaker 1: involved in the sports area of Philadelphia. Comcast also announced 115 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: it would create a new channel in Philadelphia just called 116 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: Comcast sports Net, specifically a regional sports channel for the 117 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: Philadelphia area. And finally, in nine Comcast got into the 118 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: broadband business. The company launched a service called Comcast at Home, 119 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: with the at being the at symbol, and they launched 120 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: it in Baltimore, Maryland and Sarasota, Florida, kind of as 121 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: a sort of prototype. They're there ted sting grounds. They 122 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: wanted to see if this business would have any legs, 123 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: and the trial run offered a cable modem service to customers, 124 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: and as it turned out, and ended up being a 125 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: fruitful business which Comcast quickly began to adopt and roll 126 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: out in other areas. In nineteen seven, another major company 127 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: took interest in Comcast, and that major company is Microsoft. 128 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: So Bill Gates's company invested one billion dollars in Comcast 129 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: in nine The purpose of that investment was to help 130 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: Comcast deploy high speed data and video services through its infrastructure. 131 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,319 Speaker 1: So Comcast was starting to look at ways of creating 132 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: a fiber optic coaxial sort of system, replacing lots of 133 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: copper lines with fiber optic lines to deliver much faster service. 134 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: And it was through this investment that Comcast was able 135 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: to afford that infrastructure without affecting its operating funds too much. 136 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 1: And in this way, this was a step to move 137 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: towards the world we live in now, in which people 138 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: in the United States can get high speed Internet streaming 139 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,079 Speaker 1: to different devices in the home and not just PCs. 140 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: In fact, in the press release that Microsoft VP of 141 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: Corporate Development, Greg Maffei had taken part in, MAFE had said, 142 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:25,599 Speaker 1: like Comcast, Microsoft has always believed that increasing network bandwidth 143 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: is a key to the eventual convergence of the Internet, 144 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: the PC, and the television. So even back then, there 145 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: was a look at we're using these pipes in the 146 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: parlance of the web. We're using these pipes to deliver 147 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: TV and to deliver broadband. Broadband, by the way, is 148 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: being delivered over one of those six mega hurts channels 149 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: that I talked about in the first episode that cable 150 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: can you cable can hold hundreds of mega hurts, So 151 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: broadband internet connection is just six mega hurts of a cable. 152 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:03,959 Speaker 1: That's plenty of base available for that. So Microsoft was saying, 153 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 1: we've got this delivery system that's doing both television and Internet. 154 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:10,599 Speaker 1: It's only a matter of time before we start to 155 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: see these different technologies start to converge into a single technology. 156 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: And as it turns out, that's very much true. It 157 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: took a little bit longer than what they were expecting, 158 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: I imagine, but that's what we're seeing now. A lot 159 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: of people either have smart televisions or they have their 160 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,839 Speaker 1: TVs hooked up to one or more set top devices 161 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: that allows them to view Internet content on their televisions. 162 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 1: And there are some who argue that eventually that will 163 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: be the primary and perhaps only way that will get 164 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: content on our TVs. That we won't receive programming from 165 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: a cable service directly. It will be through an Internet service. 166 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: And that's quite possible. Well, more and more people are 167 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: opting for that, as we'll say later in the episode, 168 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: and any rate, by this time, cable television wasn't even 169 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: the largest division within Comcast. Cable TV was taking a 170 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 1: back seat. Uh So, Comcast had interest in content and 171 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: cellular services, and there were growing concerns that the company 172 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: in charge of delivering content was also in the business 173 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: of creating content, and those concerns would grow over the 174 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: following years. This is where you started seeing people make 175 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: noise about net neutrality. How can a delivery system remain 176 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: unbiased when it also was creating content being delivered on 177 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: that system. In other words, if you are a company 178 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: that creates content and you're also a company that allows 179 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: content to be delivered to customers. How can anyone be 180 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: certain that you don't give your own content preferential treatment. 181 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 1: Maybe you slow down other types of content across your network, 182 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: maybe you don't allow it to even broadcast on your network. 183 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: Maybe you tell your customers, hey, the stuff we have 184 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: is the best stuff out there. You don't need anything else. 185 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: These were big concerns, and while Comcast was largely playing nice, uh, 186 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: it was a it was a worry that perhaps in 187 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: the future that would not be the case. And so 188 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: we really started getting into the conversations about net neutrality 189 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: around this time. I mean they had been around before that, 190 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: but this is when it really started to take more 191 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: of a spotlight, and that would increase over the years. 192 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: Skipping ahead to two thousand one, Comcast bought the Outdoor 193 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: Life Network and expanded its investment in the Golf Channel, 194 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: which ended up giving Comcast controlling interest in that network, 195 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: and it also announced it would purchase a T and 196 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: T broadband for a cool seventy two billion dollars. At 197 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: that time, a T and T broadband was the largest 198 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: cable TV provider in the United States, so Comcast both 199 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: eliminate some competition and grows its own cable television services 200 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: by buying another service, uh, which no big surprise again 201 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: if you're looking back along the history of Comcast, that 202 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: was the tactic from day one. Really. In two thousand two, 203 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: Comcast unveiled plans for HD television and video on demand services. Again, 204 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: the Golf Channel was one of those early HD channels. 205 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: As I recall, this was one of those things where 206 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: the United States was definitely trailing behind Japan by several years. 207 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: But HD television's back in the early two thousand's were 208 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 1: really expensive. I don't know if you guys remember, because 209 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: these days, you know, you can go out and buy 210 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:47,319 Speaker 1: an HD television for a relatively low cost, still several 211 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: hundred dollars. But you know, when you start looking at 212 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: things like four K televisions, they are relatively inexpensive. HD ones, 213 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: that is, HD are relatively inexpensive compared to four K. 214 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: But just like four K. Now, back then, there were 215 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: very few channels that actually offered up h D content. 216 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: So you can get an HD television, but there wasn't 217 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: much to watch on it at the time. The Golf 218 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: Channel was one of those things, so if you really 219 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: like golf, you could get a really good, look at it. Uh. Also, 220 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: Brian Roberts assumed the role of CEO of the company, 221 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: becoming president and CEO in two thousand two. Not long 222 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: after that, he would actually also assume the role of chairman, 223 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: so became President, CEO and chairman of Comcast. Again, keep 224 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: in mind this is the son of the founder, Ralph J. Roberts. 225 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: In two thousand four, Comcast made an unsuccessful bid for 226 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: a hostile takeover for the Walt Disney Company. Now that 227 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: might sound pretty weird, because today Disney is bigger than ever. 228 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: Disney owns so much. Disney bought Marvel, Disney bought the 229 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: Star Wars franchise. The movie is are doing really well. 230 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: But in the early two thousand's Disney was in turmoil. 231 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: There were leadership issues. People were disenchanted with Michael Eisner 232 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: as the chairman of Walt Disney. The company itself was 233 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: not doing as well in the market as it had 234 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 1: been previously. Some people were beginning to feel that Disney 235 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: itself had the company had lost its way, and people 236 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: like Roy Disney, who had been on the board of directors, 237 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: seemed to be in dismay at the state of the company. 238 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: So the bid was somewhere in the fifty four billion 239 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: dollar range, and it was based on stock price. It 240 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: was going to be a stock exchange deal if this 241 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: were to actually go through. But it was a hostile 242 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: takeover and does that mean well. Originally, Comcast was sending 243 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: messages to Disney chairman Michael Eisner, but Eisner refused to 244 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: discuss a deal. Then Comcast went over Eisner's head and 245 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: sent a letter of intent to directly to the board 246 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: of directors, saying, we want to purchase your company. Here 247 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 1: are the here's the deal where we want to do 248 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: it in stock. The stock is currently valued at fifty 249 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: four billion dollars. Now Disney itself was being valued somewhere 250 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: in the sixty six billion dollar range, but again it 251 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: was kind of struggling at the time. So comcast hope 252 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: was that the board of directors would come and talk 253 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: to Comcast and they would be able to work this 254 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: out and that uh, you know, maybe the word board 255 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 1: of directors thought this would be the best approach in 256 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: order to make money for shareholders, for Disney shareholders, and 257 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: the attempt was huge news because the number of properties 258 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: that would have been involved were significant. Disney at that 259 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: Time was already the parent company of ESPN and ABC, 260 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: so those would fall under the role of Comcast. Then 261 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: Comcast the delivery system would also be in control of 262 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: ABC and ESPN, and people were worried that this would 263 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: mean Comcast would be able to leverage that over other providers. 264 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: So let's say Time Warner Cable and it comes up 265 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: and Comcast says, hey, I own ESPN, And if you 266 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: want ESPN to run on your cable networks to your 267 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: cable customers, you're gonna have to pay X amount to 268 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: have access to that content. Uh. You know, it would 269 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: have been a very powerful leveraging tool, but there was 270 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: no need to worry about that. The deal actually fell 271 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: through when shareholders for both Disney and Comcast were resisting 272 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: the move for different reasons. Comcasts stock price fell eleven 273 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 1: percent over the time from when they announced the bid 274 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: to the time when they decided to walk away. Now, 275 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:49,359 Speaker 1: because the stock price fell eleven percent, and because their 276 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: bid was about an exchange of stock, the value of 277 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 1: the stock they were bidding fell, I mean, it wasn't 278 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: as valuable as it used to be. This would be 279 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: as if I went up to you and said, hey, 280 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 1: I want to buy your shoes for ten bucks, and 281 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: you say, well, I'll think about it, and the next 282 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: day I come up to you with a ten dollar bill. 283 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: But in that time, the value of ten dollars has decreased, 284 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: meaning the buying power of that ten dollars is less. 285 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: It's similar, except now we're talking about actual stock, not 286 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,439 Speaker 1: the value of currency. But the point being that what 287 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: used to be worth fifty four billion dollars was now 288 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: worth even less than that, so that made it a 289 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 1: much less attractive deal for the Disney board of directors. Meanwhile, 290 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: the board of the Board of Directors are also getting 291 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: the message from their shareholders, we don't want you to 292 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:46,200 Speaker 1: sell this company to Comcast. And since both parties were 293 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: receiving this kind of resistance, Comcast announced it would drop 294 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: the bid just a few months after it had first 295 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: announced its intention, and uh and Roberts had said he 296 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: was very disappointed in the Disney Board of Directors for 297 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: not coming in and communicating with him. He thought that 298 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,159 Speaker 1: it was the best deal for both companies. Meanwhile, the 299 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: Board of Directors didn't UH didn't really dignify that particular 300 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: aunt h statement with a response. Also in two thousand four, 301 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 1: Comcast purchased a little company called tech TV, and who boy, 302 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 1: is this a heck of a story. So Comcast carried 303 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: a company a channel called G four which catered to 304 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 1: video game fans. It was mostly content related to video 305 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: games in some way, including things like review shows, shows 306 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 1: that just did clips of video games, uh, game shows 307 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: that were video game related, lots of stuff like that. 308 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: Tech TV, on the other hand, was a more general 309 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 1: technology based channel where they had everything from product reviews 310 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: to h question and answer like people could call in 311 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: and ask experts how to do certain things with their computers, 312 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: like how to install motherboards, that kind of stuff like 313 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: actual technical help um as well as shows that were 314 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: things like like they had their own video game review shows. 315 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: So there were there were competing shows on the two channels. 316 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: So Comcast purchases tech TV in two thousand four and 317 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 1: then merges it with G four, creating the G four 318 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 1: tech TV channel, and then kind of letting the two 319 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:34,240 Speaker 1: slates of of programming battle it out to see which 320 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: ones would remain and which ones they would get rid of. 321 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: And I've got a lot of friends who worked either 322 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: for G four or tech TV, and I hope to 323 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: do an episode in the future. I've already recorded some 324 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: interviews about this. Actually, I hope to do an episode 325 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: in the future about tech TV and G four and 326 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:58,120 Speaker 1: the merging of the two, and to include interview segments 327 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: that I have gathered over time. So that's something I 328 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: want to do in the future, and it will definitely 329 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,919 Speaker 1: be a long episode, probably a multi partner because it 330 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: was so complicated. It was a venture that people when 331 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: when these channels first started, they were really excited about 332 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: them because this was Uh, these were industries that were 333 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: all getting more and more important over time. People were 334 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,200 Speaker 1: getting more interested in technology and computers and video games. 335 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: But when you get these big corporations like Comcast involved, 336 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: sometimes the ideas that people had when they first founded 337 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: the channel end up getting changed or lost or or discarded, 338 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,200 Speaker 1: and uh, it creates a very emotional kind of story. 339 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 1: So keep in tune with tech stuff. Let me know 340 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: if that sounds interesting to you, because I do hope 341 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: to do it in the future. I still have to 342 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 1: do several more interviews in order to get kind of 343 00:21:52,960 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: a full story of it moving on with Comcast. By 344 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: the way, G four tech TV doesn't exist anymore. In 345 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: case you were wondering if if you weren't aware, G 346 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: four tech TV eventually went away and I believe became 347 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: the Spike Network. If I'm not mistaken, or it's no, 348 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: it's Esquire, I'm sorry, it's the Square Network. I believe 349 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: um Esquire would eventually take over for G four tech TV, 350 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: and so that channel no longer exists, and uh, a 351 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: lot of good people worked for that channel over time. Anyway, 352 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 1: two thousand five, Comcast joins a group of investors, which 353 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: included Sony Corporation of America, to purchase a twenty steak 354 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 1: in Metro Goldwyn Meyer better known as MGM Studios, so 355 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: the entertainment studios that produced lots of movies, including the 356 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: James Bond franchise. It turned out to be a pretty 357 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:55,440 Speaker 1: tough investment, so five years later, in two thousand ten, 358 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: MGM would file for Chapter eleven bankruptcy and they would 359 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,920 Speaker 1: emerge from bankruptcy after a little more than a month 360 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 1: after entering bankruptcy with the creditors MGMs creditors taking control 361 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: of the company. So that was a pretty rough time. 362 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: I mean, it was an investment, it was a gamble, 363 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: and unfortunately for the investors, the market for DVDs was 364 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 1: really falling out by that point, and that ended up 365 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,640 Speaker 1: taking a big hit. MGM took a big hit from that. 366 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: That same year two five, that is, Comcast unveiled at 367 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: digital phone service and plans to purchase internet businesses, further 368 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: getting involved in both the delivery and production of cable 369 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: content both on TV and on the Internet. So if 370 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,159 Speaker 1: you have ever looked at Comcast ex Affinity, which is 371 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 1: the brand for their digital service to homes, you often 372 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: will see that it can be bundled where you get 373 00:23:53,520 --> 00:24:00,160 Speaker 1: phone service, cable television, and internet broadband all bundled together. That's, 374 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: you know it calculated approach that Comcasts made back in 375 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: this time. In two thousand and seven, that's when Comcast 376 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: actually acquired Fandango, the movie ticket service, the one that 377 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 1: kind of precipitated this whole discussion about Comcast in the 378 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: first place, because if you recall from episode one of 379 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,919 Speaker 1: this series, I mentioned that I started looking into this 380 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: after I had problems buying Star Wars tickets because the 381 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: Fandango service had been overwhelmed by demand and it pretty 382 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: much collapsed. By the way, in case you were worried, 383 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: I did eventually get Star Wars tickets for opening night. 384 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: I just had to wait till the next morning. It's 385 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: just I am not a good Jedi. I don't have patience. 386 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: So it was a tough, tough twenty four hours or 387 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: so at any rate. Comcast purchased Fandango back in two 388 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:58,159 Speaker 1: thousand and seven, and uh, Fandango is one of those 389 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: services that I personally find a little frustrating. I much 390 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 1: prefer when movie theaters have their own, uh theater specific 391 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: services to to sell tickets to customers, because you don't 392 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,439 Speaker 1: have to worry if there's a huge amount of demand 393 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: for the overall film, typically speaking, because it's distributed amongst 394 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: all those theaters. It's when you have a centralized service 395 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: where all that demand is going to a single collection 396 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: of servers where you start running into these problems. And 397 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: granted the Star Wars issue was a special case, it's 398 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: not like that's going to happen with every movie. For example, 399 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,919 Speaker 1: Jim and the Holograms. Don't think that one's going to 400 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 1: collapse the system, even though it's truly outrageous, truly truly 401 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: truly outrageous. So two thousand seven Fendango acquisition happens, um 402 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: I could go on about the case will service companies 403 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: that Comcast acquired over the next few years, but by 404 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: now you guys are all familiar with that story. It's 405 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: the same story over and over. It's just the names 406 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: and the prices change from case to case. In an 407 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 1: effort to grow the company and increase the number of customers, 408 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:21,840 Speaker 1: Comcast kept acquiring other businesses, including ones like Patriot Media, 409 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: Susquehanna Communications, and others. UH, and Comcast and Time Warner 410 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: together would split up the assets of another company called 411 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: Adelphia Communications. Adelphia had gone bankrupt and so as part 412 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: of the UH, in order to settle the debt that 413 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: Adelphia had acquired, they started selling off assets, and Comcast 414 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: and Time Warner we're both allowed to buy up some 415 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 1: of those, which not great news necessarily if you want 416 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: more competition UH. Since these were the two big players 417 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 1: in the United States at that same time, Comcast continued 418 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 1: to launch channels fear Net and Exercise TV, and so 419 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: they were controlling the distribution and content in an effort 420 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 1: to set itself apart from competing cable and satellite services. Also, 421 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: the Walt Disney Company, while it was not open to 422 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,119 Speaker 1: a hostile takeover bid, it did sell off its thirty 423 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 1: nine share in the E Networks to Comcast, so Comcast 424 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:27,880 Speaker 1: was able to pick up a significant share in those 425 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:32,359 Speaker 1: those uh, those companies, those those networks, they didn't have 426 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 1: controlling interest. But is nothing this sneeze at now. That 427 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 1: doesn't even cover the continued interest in wireless broadband. Comcast 428 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: was one of the companies that invested in clear Wire Corporation, 429 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 1: for example, so Comcast was still very much interested in 430 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: expanding in that industry as well. And the next really big, 431 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,919 Speaker 1: big piece of news dates to two thousand nine, and 432 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: that's when it was announced that g E had agreed 433 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: to sell controlling eight in NBC Universal to Comcast. Now, 434 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 1: the approval for this deal would take quite some time. 435 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: Congress scrutinized this deal and it wasn't until two thousand 436 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:17,479 Speaker 1: eleven that Congress approved the deal, and the acquisition itself 437 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't be complete until two thousand thirteen. So from two 438 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: thousand nine to two thousand thirteen this deal was taking place. 439 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: That's how big a deal we're talking about here. And 440 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: the approval from Congress was actually conditional. It wasn't yeah, 441 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 1: go ahead and you can buy them. And they actually 442 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 1: had some some specific conditions that the companies had to 443 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: adhere to. Comcast had to make assurances that it wouldn't 444 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:44,760 Speaker 1: prevent NBC programming from airing on competing broadcast services. They 445 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: couldn't just say, well, now anything that's on NBC can 446 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: only air on Comcast, or it can air on other stations, 447 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: but only if you pay an outrageous premium for the broadcast. 448 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: That was part of the agreement that Comcast would not 449 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: make those kind of moves. Um. It also sparked another 450 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: round of discussions about net neutrality, making certain delivery services 451 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: aren't so wrapped up in programming that they began to 452 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 1: tinker with accessibility. And uh, this is still a big 453 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: deal today. I mean, this is a giant thing about 454 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: about these distribution companies getting involved in content on this level, 455 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: and as they own more and more of it, there's 456 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: a greater concern that they will cause real issues for 457 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: customers that hurts the customer in the long run. It's 458 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: a great business decision, you know, from the business side, 459 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: you can't argue it because it's gonna make tons of 460 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: money for shareholders, But as a customer, as the person 461 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: who comes home and wants to watch television, it's a 462 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: negative experience, or it can be. It can certainly lead 463 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 1: to one. So that's why these conditions were built in 464 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: to the agreement. And then in two thousand and fourteen, 465 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 1: skipping ahead to that, Comcast made a move to acquire 466 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: its competitor, Time Warner Cable and this is when the 467 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:09,479 Speaker 1: Internet totally lost its mind. For very good reason. This action, 468 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:13,240 Speaker 1: more than any other, brought that net neutrality argument into 469 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: the spotlight. Comcast was essentially saying that they wanted to 470 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:22,719 Speaker 1: buy its chief competitor, which would drastically reduce options for 471 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 1: customers in numerous markets, which Comcast actually argued was a 472 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: benefit to the customer if you can believe it. Now, 473 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 1: keep in mind again, and most markets, customers don't have 474 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 1: that much choice. They might have a choice of one 475 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: cable provider and maybe one or two satellite providers, which 476 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: is getting fewer and fewer anyway because of other acquisitions 477 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: and consolidations. But that's it. They don't necessarily, you know, 478 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: it's it's it's rare when you're in an area where 479 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 1: you're like, well, I can get either Time Warner or 480 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: I can get Comcast. It may be that you have 481 00:30:54,720 --> 00:31:00,479 Speaker 1: either Comcast or a mobile wireless provider or satellite, and 482 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: that's it. You don't have options between cable companies, in 483 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 1: other words, and that is problematic. And Comcast was arguing 484 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: that by buying Time Warner it would actually be an 485 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 1: improvement to customers by streamlining everything. But when asked about it, 486 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: when when people said, well, does this mean that, since 487 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: there be no competition, you could lower the customer bill, 488 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: they said no, not necessarily, so, in other words, customers 489 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 1: would not see any benefit from this. The the benefits 490 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: of competition are that companies will start to offer better 491 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 1: prices and better options for customers in an effort to 492 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,640 Speaker 1: win more customers. But when you don't have competition, there's 493 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: no reason to do that. In fact, you want to 494 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: have higher prices because you can't go anywhere else for 495 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 1: those services. That's the reason why monopolies are frowned upon 496 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: and and normally either prevented or broken up. Although, as 497 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 1: we talked about in our A T and T podcast, 498 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: even the efforts to break up monopolies don't last forever. 499 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: Often these companies will coalesce back together kind of like 500 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:09,920 Speaker 1: kind of like a planet getting broken up into space, 501 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: and then the gravity's crushes all the pieces back together, 502 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 1: so you have a planet again. It's almost the same thing. Uh. Anyway, 503 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: I don't want to get off on a total rant there, 504 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: but if you listen to episodes about A T and 505 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 1: T about net neutrality, those sort of discussions go into 506 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 1: greater detail about this sort of stuff. Anyway. Uh, there 507 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: are only a few markets that really allow you to 508 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: have some choice in the United States, and that's a 509 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: real problem. And people opposed to the Time Warner deal 510 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 1: argued that if it went through, there'd be a true 511 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: monopoly in cable service in the United States. It would 512 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:51,719 Speaker 1: belong to Comcast. Now, there were also numerous examples of 513 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 1: regions that were passing laws restricting public broadband initiatives. In 514 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: other words, lobbyists for the cable industry we're working with 515 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 1: politicians to make it difficult or even illegal for a 516 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 1: government to offer broadband service as a utility. And there 517 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: are certain areas in the United States where this was 518 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 1: a big deal, specifically in places like Chattanooga. If Joe 519 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: McCormick was in here, he's from Chattanooga, he could tell 520 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:22,280 Speaker 1: you about the crazy fast Internet service that people in 521 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: Chattanooga can get through municipal WiFi, and cable companies really 522 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:33,960 Speaker 1: battle against that. They say it's unfair, which blows my mind, 523 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 1: but that would be an entirely different episode for me 524 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 1: to go into all of those details. At any rate, 525 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 1: municipal broadband service became a battleground which continues to this day. 526 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: The Federal Communications Commission has ruled that states are allowed 527 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 1: to offer up broadband services, but cable interests are still 528 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: fighting that decision and appealing it and arguing that the 529 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: FCC doesn't really have the authority to make that statement 530 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: in the first place, just as they resist other competitors 531 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 1: like Google Fiber entering their turf. So what cable companies 532 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: have done is they've divided up the United States into 533 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:15,840 Speaker 1: into neighborhoods that they can effectively control because they're the 534 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: only party in town, and then they do their best 535 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: to keep everybody else out. And again, this makes perfect 536 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,279 Speaker 1: sense from a business perspective. You don't want competition to 537 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:29,879 Speaker 1: come in and shake things up. But for customers it's 538 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:33,279 Speaker 1: not such a great story. So it gets pretty ugly 539 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: and a lot of people, especially on my side of this, 540 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:40,319 Speaker 1: have a lot of harsh things to say, and I 541 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 1: will again, try to avoid editorializing anymore than I already have. Uh, 542 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,359 Speaker 1: and it's it's entirely possible that I have blinders on here. 543 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:52,880 Speaker 1: It's not like I think that the other companies are 544 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:57,480 Speaker 1: necessarily altruistic, but I always like to see more competition 545 00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:00,719 Speaker 1: rather than less. Anyway, back to Time Warner, That's what 546 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: started this whole digression in the first place was the 547 00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 1: proposal for Comcast to acquire Time Warner. The deal would 548 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: involve around forty five billion dollars in stock, and Congress 549 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: began to scrutinize the deal and a lot of advocacy 550 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: groups were calling for the deal to just be outright rejected. 551 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: Comcast agreed to divest itself of nearly four million subscribers, 552 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:29,560 Speaker 1: essentially handing them over to Charter Communications, and this was 553 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 1: supposed to be a sign of good faith, saying Comcast 554 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,760 Speaker 1: had no plan on taking over the entire industry. Charter 555 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: Communications would still be there and they had three point 556 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:41,280 Speaker 1: nine million more subscribers than they had before because Comcast 557 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,720 Speaker 1: was giving them up. So see, there's competition. There's still 558 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:48,839 Speaker 1: Charter Communications. It's not like by buying Time Warner all 559 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 1: cable would be Comcast for now, never mind the fact 560 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: that once again there's not true competition in most markets anyway, 561 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:02,800 Speaker 1: While the deal was being considered, a T and T 562 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:07,520 Speaker 1: also announced its plans to acquire Direct TV for forty 563 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:11,960 Speaker 1: nine billion dollars, which added fuel to the fire of 564 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:16,759 Speaker 1: people worried about net neutrality and about media consolidation. There 565 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: were tons of people now looking at these two major 566 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:24,480 Speaker 1: deals saying, we really need to think about this because 567 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:28,400 Speaker 1: if we go down this pathway, customers could be really 568 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:30,959 Speaker 1: hurt by the lack of choice Further down the road. 569 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: In April two fifteen, Comcast and Time Warner announced that 570 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:40,080 Speaker 1: they were dropping the deal after numerous challenges and delays 571 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,800 Speaker 1: were brought up against it, and it was also rumored 572 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 1: that the Department of Justice in the United States was 573 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: leaning towards denying the deal in the first place, so 574 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 1: walking away might have also been an attempt to make 575 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 1: it seem as though the two companies had arrived at 576 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,919 Speaker 1: this decision themselves, rather than it being forced upon them 577 00:36:56,960 --> 00:37:01,360 Speaker 1: by another party. The ongoing and just for Comcast today 578 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:04,799 Speaker 1: include the FCC wanting to reclassify broad band as a 579 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 1: title to utility, which Comcast and other cable companies are challenging. 580 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: And also this is really troubling for cable companies, especially 581 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: well specifically cable TV companies. There's a flagging interest in 582 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:23,239 Speaker 1: cable television. This is not a big surprise for most 583 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:25,160 Speaker 1: of my listeners. I'm sure I bet there are a 584 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:27,720 Speaker 1: lot of you out there who are cable chord cutters. 585 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,319 Speaker 1: You know, you've you've cut the chord for cable TV, 586 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,279 Speaker 1: and you get your entertainment through the Internet, but not 587 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:37,319 Speaker 1: through television. You might feed the Internet to your TV, 588 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,920 Speaker 1: but you're not getting it through cable TV. I'm sure 589 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:42,640 Speaker 1: there are a lot of you out there who are 590 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:46,040 Speaker 1: doing that right now. And I bet there's some of 591 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:48,279 Speaker 1: you out there who are fall into the category that 592 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 1: is now being called cord never's. Cord never's are people 593 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,719 Speaker 1: who have never subscribed to cable television. So we're talking 594 00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:00,200 Speaker 1: about young adults who have never taken it upon themselves 595 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:03,719 Speaker 1: to get cable TV. They're not interested. It's not how 596 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:07,440 Speaker 1: they consume entertainment. They get everything they want through the 597 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:10,439 Speaker 1: Internet or through over the air broadcast, but they've never 598 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:13,880 Speaker 1: seen the value of subscribing to a cable television service. 599 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,600 Speaker 1: We're seeing both of those populations grow over time. Now 600 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:21,440 Speaker 1: that means that cable television providers are experiencing a crunch. 601 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:25,239 Speaker 1: They're losing customers who are cutting the cord, and they're 602 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:28,239 Speaker 1: not gaining new customers fast enough because more and more 603 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:31,399 Speaker 1: people are choosing not to ever subscribe to cable TV 604 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 1: in the first place. So you're getting a narrowing band 605 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: of customers for cable television, which is really created an 606 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 1: error of desperation in that industry. And it means that 607 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: you're getting some some pretty hard moves in that that industry, 608 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:53,279 Speaker 1: And it could ultimately mean that in the future, our 609 00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:57,720 Speaker 1: television content will primarily come through the Internet, and cable 610 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:01,720 Speaker 1: TV as a thing will no longer exist. The industry 611 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:05,680 Speaker 1: itself will cease, and we'll have a totally different model 612 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:11,520 Speaker 1: for delivering television and creating television. That's a possibility, it's 613 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: still going to take some time for that to happen. 614 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: I mean, it's not like cable tv is in so 615 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:18,960 Speaker 1: much trouble that it could crumble at any second. It's 616 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:24,200 Speaker 1: still a huge, multibillion dollar industry. It's just a multibillion 617 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 1: dollar industry that already is seeing loss of customers on 618 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:33,120 Speaker 1: either side of it people leaving and new people not 619 00:39:33,239 --> 00:39:36,319 Speaker 1: coming in, so it'll be really interesting to see where 620 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 1: that goes over the next I'd say decade decade um. 621 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:42,359 Speaker 1: I think we're gonna see more and more people turn 622 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:47,280 Speaker 1: to the Internet. We're gonna see more services like Netflix, Hulu, 623 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:53,440 Speaker 1: Amazon offering up their own original content that you can 624 00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:56,400 Speaker 1: only get through those services. I know that Disney is 625 00:39:56,440 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 1: looking at the possibility of launching its own streaming services 626 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 1: as well, So it may be that in the future, 627 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:07,280 Speaker 1: instead of subscribing to a cable company and then picking 628 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 1: a package that gives you certain channels, you may have 629 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:15,799 Speaker 1: to pick between different streaming video services. In fact, you 630 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 1: already do for certain things, like you might not be 631 00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: an Amazon Prime member, which means you don't get certain 632 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:27,440 Speaker 1: Amazon shows, or you might not be a Netflix subscriber, 633 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,839 Speaker 1: which means you don't get certain Netflix shows or Hulu. 634 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 1: All of these have original content and in order to 635 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:37,120 Speaker 1: access it, you have to subscribe to the to the services, 636 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,879 Speaker 1: generally speaking, So maybe in the future we have more 637 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:43,719 Speaker 1: and more of those, which puts the burden still on 638 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:45,840 Speaker 1: the customer. You have to decide what you're willing to 639 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:49,160 Speaker 1: pay for and what you don't you feel is not 640 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,399 Speaker 1: worth the money. You just you just don't see it, 641 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:57,480 Speaker 1: but it's bad news for cable TV providers. Comcasts, however, 642 00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 1: of course, is in the position where it's not a 643 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: cable TV provider, it's a content provider and its Internet 644 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:10,200 Speaker 1: broadband provider, so it has some other businesses that it 645 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:12,360 Speaker 1: wants to protect, and it may be that in the 646 00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:16,680 Speaker 1: next few years we see Comcast double down on Internet 647 00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:22,200 Speaker 1: content and broadband delivery. We'll probably also see Comcast continue 648 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: to fight competition in those spaces, specifically things like the 649 00:41:27,719 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: entrance of Google Fiber into different regions. So that's what 650 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:33,400 Speaker 1: I think we're going to see in the future for Comcast. 651 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:39,719 Speaker 1: It's gonna be more of a focus on broadband UM 652 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:45,000 Speaker 1: and and Internet content, and we'll price see some pretty 653 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:50,080 Speaker 1: tough battles for municipal WiFi, for municipal broadband, for um 654 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:53,280 Speaker 1: stuff like Google Fiber to be allowed to come into 655 00:41:53,480 --> 00:42:00,319 Speaker 1: neighborhoods and personally encouraged by the direction I've seen over 656 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:05,160 Speaker 1: the last year or two where it looks like the 657 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:09,400 Speaker 1: general consensus is that competition is a good thing. I 658 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:16,960 Speaker 1: don't even hate Comcast specifically, I I I have very 659 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:20,839 Speaker 1: strong opinions because of my own personal experience with this company. 660 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 1: But that's my own personal experience and it's not a 661 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:27,480 Speaker 1: universal experience, and I would never suggest that my experience 662 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:31,839 Speaker 1: is the same that everyone else has had. But I 663 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:35,400 Speaker 1: love to see competition because it means that customers have choice, 664 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:39,200 Speaker 1: and I would much prefer to have choice than to 665 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:43,279 Speaker 1: be forced into using a specific provider because there is 666 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 1: no other option, because that means that I can't weigh 667 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 1: my options and make a decision. I have no deciding power. 668 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 1: Um By creating that sort of competition, I can make 669 00:42:56,960 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 1: those decisions. And maybe I stay with Comcast. Maybe I 670 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:04,480 Speaker 1: decided that's the best way for UH for me to 671 00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:07,520 Speaker 1: get the access I need, or maybe I switched to 672 00:43:07,560 --> 00:43:10,800 Speaker 1: a competitor like Google Fiber, which is rolling out service 673 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:14,319 Speaker 1: in Atlanta as I record this UM, and it will 674 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:16,840 Speaker 1: probably take another couple of years before that's complete. But 675 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:21,200 Speaker 1: the fact is that I think the more choice you have, 676 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:24,880 Speaker 1: the better better off you are as a consumer. Up 677 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:28,480 Speaker 1: to a point. Obviously, if you have five hundred choices, 678 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:31,319 Speaker 1: then you have another problem ahead of you, which is 679 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:34,960 Speaker 1: how do you decide among five hundred candidates which one 680 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:39,080 Speaker 1: is the best. But for something like cable where you 681 00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:42,600 Speaker 1: may have one or two options, it makes it a 682 00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:45,440 Speaker 1: lot easier, especially if you have to. I mean, if 683 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:48,360 Speaker 1: you have one, there's no decision to make, but you 684 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:51,200 Speaker 1: have to, you can at least weigh them against each 685 00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:54,759 Speaker 1: other and make an informed decision that way. And I 686 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:57,040 Speaker 1: personally am looking forward to a world where we do 687 00:43:57,120 --> 00:43:59,560 Speaker 1: have that kind of choice and aren't forced into it. 688 00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:03,200 Speaker 1: But I'm curious what you guys think. Do you guys? 689 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:05,759 Speaker 1: First of all, do you live in a place where 690 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:08,799 Speaker 1: you have lots of options? Because there are a few. 691 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:12,440 Speaker 1: There are some regions that do have options when it 692 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:15,640 Speaker 1: comes to cable providers. I just don't happen to live 693 00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:19,040 Speaker 1: in one of them. Or are you frustrated by this? 694 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: Is this something that you feel has gone unaddressed too long, 695 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:26,400 Speaker 1: or is it totally cool? I'm curious to hear what 696 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:28,360 Speaker 1: your thoughts are. Right to me let me know. And 697 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:33,160 Speaker 1: also if you have suggestions for future topics of future episodes, 698 00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:36,479 Speaker 1: or maybe someone I should interview or someone I should 699 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:39,640 Speaker 1: have on as a guest host, right to me let 700 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:43,640 Speaker 1: me know your thoughts. The email address is text stuff 701 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:48,120 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com, or you can drop 702 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:51,880 Speaker 1: me a line on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumbler. At all. 703 00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:55,400 Speaker 1: Three of those use the handle text stuff h SW. 704 00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:57,759 Speaker 1: That message will get to me, and I'll talk to 705 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:06,480 Speaker 1: you again. Really. See for more on this and thousands 706 00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 1: of other topics because it has stuff works dot com