From: tweek@tweekco.uucp (Michael D. Maxfield)
Newsgroups: alt.cable-tv.re-regulate
Subject: Re: Cable TV Rules
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 21:58:19 PST
Organization: Tweek-Com Systems BBS, Moraga, CA (510) 631-0615

yatesbd@pharm.med.upenn.edu (Brian Yates) writes:

> I have skimmed over the preceding discussion, but l'd like to interject my
> *opinions*.
> 
> 1. Congress did not do us a favor with the recent reregulation.  Aside from
> the fact that it was an *election year sway-the-vote ploy...(but that
> belongs in another newsgroup), it does not promote competition.  What they
> should have done, (and I wrote to my senator) is allow the phone companies
> to provide cable service, (any information service for that matter), and do
> the same for cable companies, and anyone else who would like to get
> involved.  

About 4 months before the cable re-regulation bill was passed, a bill 
which allowed the telcos (local bell operating companies) to enter the
information services field (including cable tv) was passed.  Of course,
beside being at least 10 years from fiber to the door, the other providers
must be allowed access to the services which the cable companies have locked up
tight.  Now, when the telco offers you cable in 10 years, you will be able to
get channels such as TNT and other currently exclusive channels through more
than one source.


> We don't the monopoly the cable companies have.  About 75% of
> the cable channels I pay for I don't watch, or have any desire to
> watch, but I have to buy their *basic cable* package deal.

About 75% of the government services I pay for, I don't use... but I have to
pay for them anyway....  I'm not asking that I don't have to pay for them
(although that would be nice).  The majority of the Basic package price goes to
plant maintenance/ROI while maybe only 5-10% goes to programming... so if you
pay $20 a month, only about a buck or so goes to provide you with Weather,
CSPAN, CNN, TBS, NICK, and the various other basic cable channels that the 
cable company must pay to carry.  With the passing of the Re-regulation
act, and the prior passing of the bill which allowed the BOCs to venture into
information services, you now (once other companies start offering services)
have a choice, and maybe some company will offer you the choice of BASIC BASIC
cable for $19 and $.10 for the added channels...  Whatever they do, now that
competition is allowed (and I am speaking optimisticaly) it will become a
business decision of importance to the service providers as to how they want
to offer their packages... without competition though, the FCC will be allowed
to set the BASIC rate for the BASIC package which will be defined by what
subscribers deem as basic through their subscriptions...  The entire
formulas are still being worked on (or soon to be) by the FCC.  We will not 
start to see any action from the cable re-regulation act for at least 6 months,
and possibly longer than that depending upon any lawsuits filed by the cable
companies... and yes, you can be sure there will be a few.... 



      tweek@netcom.netcom.com tweek@tweekco.uucp  WWIVNet 5@5058 4@5056
           I'd rather get my cable service from the phone company,
                than my phone service from the cable company.
Newsgroups: alt.cable-tv.re-regulate