Comcast trying to aquire Time Warner Cable Holdings

[Broe67]

It is a done deal. Comcast has now become the largest monopoly for both CATV & TV channel holdings. This deal was for the Time Warner holdings for broadcast mostly, not for the CATV infrastructure. $45 Billion, just bought Comcast a new company and its channels. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303704304579379801986541412?mod=e2fb

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

Wouldnt let me read the article without login to wsj. A quick google brought me here for anything that would like to read about this without a wsj account.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...to-pay-159-a-share-for-time-warner-cable.html

 

[raoul5788]

The link is to a story that you have to pay to read.

 

[Tank]

why is this in the directv area?
wouldnt this do better in the cable tv area instead?

 

[Don in CT]

Just when you thought Comcast could not get any eviler.

 

[john262]

Its' not a done deal yet. The merger is proposed but it faces scrutiny from government regulatory agencies first. There will be a lot of opposition to this from consumer groups. Remember when Directv and Dish tried to merge? Sometimes things like this do not go through.

 

[keenan]

It is a done deal. Comcast has now become the largest monopoly for both CATV & TV channel holdings. This deal was for the Time Warner holdings for broadcast mostly, not for the CATV infrastructure. $45 Billion, just bought Comcast a new company and its channels. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303704304579379801986541412?mod=e2fb

It's the other way around, Comcast is purchasing the cable TV systems - Time Warner Cable. The TV stations, like HBO, the Turner Broadcasting stations and such - Time Warner - are a separate company and have been for about a year now.

 

[madmadworld]

Wouldnt let me read the article without login to wsj. A quick google brought me here for anything that would like to read about this without a wsj account.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...to-pay-159-a-share-for-time-warner-cable.html

no good reason for the FCC to let this happen... done deal :rant:

 

[Broe67]

The link is to a story that you have to pay to read.

That was the one that showed up on my Facebook feed. It is as twizt3dkitty on Bloomberg. I have a subscription with WSJ, so I can read the whole story. It should still give you a snippet.

 

[Broe67]

It's the other way around, Comcast is purchasing the cable TV systems - Time Warner Cable. The TV stations, like HBO, the Turner Broadcasting stations and such - Time Warner - are a separate company and have been for about a year now.

Yes those are separate, but there are channels that TWC owns outright, that CC has wanted to get exclusive broadcasting rights on, without paying TWC for the rights to show them on their infrastructure.

 

[Broe67]

Its' not a done deal yet. The merger is proposed but it faces scrutiny from government regulatory agencies first. There will be a lot of opposition to this from consumer groups. Remember when Directv and Dish tried to merge? Sometimes things like this do not go through.

Done deal. Only thing the FCC has to work out, is if those channels that are the same as CC, should be peeled off to some other company, or given to Time-Warner itself.

 

[mike123abc]

Too bad 30 Rock is not still on the air... Jack could have negotiated the Kabletown deal to buy TWC...

 

[ggw2000]

How does this deal affect "Internet Services (roadrunner)"? That is all that I have with TWC in upstate NY...
Gerry

 

[keenan]

Yes those are separate, but there are channels that TWC owns outright, that CC has wanted to get exclusive broadcasting rights on, without paying TWC for the rights to show them on their infrastructure.

You're right, I was thinking the broadcast channels were a separate entity but apparently they are not part of the content producer Time Warner.

In addition to getting Time Warner, Comcast said it "will acquire DukeNet Communications and Time Warner Cable's two regional sports networks in Los Angeles, its 26.8% stake of Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, LLC (doing business as SportsNet New York), and its 52 news and local programming channels, including Time Warner Cable News NY1 in New York City."

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...ys-a-merger-with-time-warner-is-pro-consumer/

Along with all the NBC stations and cablenets Comcast already owns that's a heck of a lot of shelf space on the channel dial. Hard to believe the FCC would approve this, but nowadays absolutely nothing would surprise me from our ineffectual regulatory agencies.

 

[Broe67]

How does this deal affect "Internet Services (roadrunner)"? That is all that I have with TWC in upstate NY...
Gerry

It will be no longer, such as when Comcast gobbled up Adelphia, Insight, etc..

 

[Broe67]

keenan, it means that CC can do away with TWC's sports networks, since they are the same as what the CC sports networks are. Look back at what CC did when they purchased the GE holdings for NBC. They combined some channels, did away with others. They are still trying to kill off MSNBC.

 

[keenan]

keenan, it means that CC can do away with TWC's sports networks, since they are the same as what the CC sports networks are. Look back at what CC did when they purchased the GE holdings for NBC. They combined some channels, did away with others. They are still trying to kill off MSNBC.

Being a displaced Dodger fan the only channel I care about is the new SportsNetLA Dodger channel and I can't see Comcast being able to do away or combine that content with any other channel. My real concern is that with Comcast ownership carriage on DirecTV(the only way I can see the channel via MLBEI) will be even more contentious. Although at this point there doesn't seem to be any deal with Time Warner yet anyway, DirecTV might be wise to lock in carriage now before Comcast takes controlling interest.

 

[Don in CT]

Being a displaced Dodger fan the only channel I care about is the new SportsNetLA Dodger channel and I can't see Comcast being able to do away or combine that content with any other channel. My real concern is that with Comcast ownership carriage on DirecTV(the only way I can see the channel via MLBEI) will be even more contentious. Although at this point there doesn't seem to be any deal with Time Warner yet anyway, DirecTV might be wise to lock in carriage now before Comcast takes controlling interest.

They can't do away with the channel, they will just rebrand it. The Dodgers signed a long term deal that can't be undone.

 

[mike123abc]

Under terms of a settlement with DOJ/FCC/whoever I suspect that the owned sports networks will have to be licensed to all providers at reasonable rates.

 

[keenan]

They can't do away with the channel, they will just rebrand it. The Dodgers signed a long term deal that can't be undone.

Yes, I'm sure the channel will still be around, I'm mainly concerned with access. Yes, they did sign a long term contract with TWC, but as far as we know there is still no carriage deal with DIRECTV. With TWC being "sold" it's quite possible that any negotiations between TWC(now or will be Comcast) have been suspended pending what the eventual new owner(Comcast) wants. We don't know what stipulations were made in the deal regarding existing/future carriage deals, that's what concerns me.

Under terms of a settlement with DOJ/FCC/whoever I suspect that the owned sports networks will have to be licensed to all providers at reasonable rates.

That would be a plus, but even then we've seen where it still takes a very long time to actually get a carriage deal done.


I just want to be able to see the Dodgers play come Feb 26 and I can't shake the feeling that this deal is going to make that much more difficult.