From: Charles Sprickman [mailto:spork@inch.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2001 2:42 PMAdelphia is not a regulated public utility, that's the difference.
Yes, and a number of us look at their "exclusive" agreements, with many
municiplaities, and have been asking why they are not a regulated monopoly.
Those contracts are as anti-competitive as it gets.
It is so easy to get side tracked ...
I do not work for the cable side of Adelphia. I do have a little
experience in working on the local politics of cable in my home town.
Most cable television franchises are regulated on the local level by
municipalities. Each city created franchises based on the wish of the
local city government. In some cites the cable company has a monopoly,
some not. The cable contracts are from time to time up for review in
some cities. If you have a problem with way cable is done in your town
or city, then you should get involved in local politics.
The ILECs love to have people complain about local cable because it
keeps the public from focusing on HR 1542 and other efforts to avoid
opening up the sale of unbundled elements before they are allowed to
provide inter-LATA services.
The latest FCC rules prevent very much control over cable companies by the
city. The city no longer has rate control nor can they attach provisions such
as "open access". The cable company can't have a "monopoly" either but then
again, neither can the ILEC. How many overbuilds are there? An insignificant
few.
One tactic would be for a city to declare eminent domain and take over all
wiring (telco and cable) and run it absolutely open. I am not sure I really
want to go there though.
"Joseph T. Klein" wrote:
....
Most cable television franchises are regulated on the local level by
municipalities. Each city created franchises based on the wish of the
local city government. In some cites the cable company has a monopoly,
some not. The cable contracts are from time to time up for review in
some cities. If you have a problem with way cable is done in your town
or city, then you should get involved in local politics.
...
Roy wrote:
One tactic would be for a city to declare eminent domain and take over all
wiring (telco and cable) and run it absolutely open. I am not sure I really
want to go there though.
Cleveland did that for a while, got tired of it, sold out to Cablevision which
subsequently
sold out to Adelphia, and Adelphia is now Cleveland's only cable company.
Not sure why they sold; it was several years ago.