Giant cable companies should not be permitted to grow larger. Further consolidation in the cable
industry is a clear violation of horizontal ownership rules that must be re-established to serve the
public interest.
The concentration of power and control over distribution of media is a growing problem in this
country. Though we have more channels available than ever before, they are under the operation of a
handful of giant corporations.
If Comcast and Time Warner are allowed to merge with Adelphia, the two companies will control
nearly 50 percent of the national market. This level of concentration in the cable industry will lead to
higher consumer rates and lower quality service.
Since passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the \"deregulation\" of cable, consumers
have seen their rates jump an average of 59 percent -- with some areas experiencing even more
dramatic increases.
We are required to buy channels we don\'t want or need because the cable operators bundle them
together. The quality of customer service often reflects the fact that cable television is not a
competitive market.
Meanwhile, the cost of cable modem service remains out of reach for many households, holding
constant for years and selectively underserving rural and low-income Americans. The American
people are watching the digital divide widen even as the need for access to high-speed networks
increases.
Cable companies have become less responsive to the needs and requirements of communities. The
quality of public accountability in local franchise agreements has declined, as big companies leverage
their power to squeeze local governments.
In many communities, the truly independent sources of local news, information and culture come from
the public channels produced at the local access centers. Unfortunately, local channels lack the
resources to produce the programming that citizens want and need.
The last thing we need is to reward the anti-competive actions of cable giants by permitting greater
consolidation in ownership, reducing competition, and encouraging more of the same.