International Cable talked to a veteran group of cable system operators, programmers and consultants about the prospects for cable in the region. Their answers were pleasantly surprising to us. Some things will never change. Latin American markets have always been volatile and unstable. The cable television industry is a stable business even during hard times.
Cable has an essential communications infrastructure that puts it in good position for the future.
It will deliver eventually much more than video, it will provide telephony, data and high-speed Internet connectivity. In sum, the region will always offer potential for those with the wherewithal to stick out the hard times. It will also reward those who, when the pendulum swings their way and the balance of power shifts, do not take undue advantage of the situation, but remember that this has happened before and will again, and that the fulcrum of any pendulum is in the middle. MTV Latino's Rita Herring knows what to expect. We knew there would be some ups and downs.