Re: Confusing AP Article is Widespread

In article <fu2kmk6gnj@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, phil-news-nospam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>In alt.tv.tech.hdtv Wes Newell <w.newell@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>| I hope the FCC keeps their noses out of it. You want cable? Pay for it.

>| It's none of the governments business what cable co. do IMO. I said it 
>| before and I'll say it again. All cable co.'s will switch to all
digital 
>| as fast as they can. They need the extra bandwidth. That's all there is
to 
>| it. Don't want to pay for it? There's lots of free OTA TV. I have no 
>| sympathy at all for someone that just doesn't like the price. Do
without 
>| if you don't like the price. Keep paying and the price will always be
high.
>
>OTOH, their carriage of over the air signals should be unscrambled.  But
they
>are scrambling it.
>
>I would agree with your principle *IF* ... they were using an
infrastructure
>that they build entirely with private financing in a competative market. 
But
>the fact is, most cable companies are using an in***bent infrastructure
built
>under the assumption they would have a regulated monopoly.  That kind of
>infrastructure inhibits competition, but we have lost the regulation. 
This
>is wrong.  This is why the consumers are getting screwed.
>
>I fully believe in a free market system.  But what we have with cable TV
is
>absolutely NOT a free market system at all.  It is an unregulated
monopoly.
>And that is why the government needs to step in and fix it.  I would
prefer
>that fix come in the form of creating a free market (e.g. a choice of at
>least 5 cable TV providers).
>
Hear, hear Phil.

Congress and the FCC still view cable as a regulated monopoly under
certain 
conditions, which is correct.  Unfortunately, the regulatory scheme has
eroded 
to the point where cable can almost do whatever it wants - almost.  There
are 
still some limits, albeit inadequate.

whosbest54
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