Darth Malone and the public.

[Zellio2008]

Interesting read.

09/28/98 JOHN MALONE AND THE CABLE TANGLE

Some quotes:

As for the TV viewer, says Davis, Malone couldn't care less: Better service and more channels meant higher costs, and if he spent more on existing subscribers, he would have to slow his march to build America's largest cable empire. ''The trick,'' Davis writes, ''was to never give the public what it wanted.''

TCI's cable systems, although serving the most subscribers in the country, tended to be small, rural outfits with outdated technology. Malone skimped on upgrades, made headlines about ordering set-top boxes for digital channels, and then quietly put off buying the boxes when the technology was slow in coming.

The Billionaire Shell Game contains many juicy anecdotes about Malone, including one in which he is said to have scuffled with an equipment vendor who didn't agree with his terms and the oft-told story of how TV screens in Vail, Colo., went blank when the city council contemplated taking away TCI's franchise. We watch as Malone strong-arms ESPN into not raising the rates it charges TCI and as he double-crosses Barry Diller during the 1993 Paramount Communications Inc. takeover battle.

Sounds like a winner. I'm wondering how many more peopkle will keep saying that what goes on isn't Malone's fault.

 

[Rey]

i don't know of anyone that's saying it isn't. we all noticed the negative change when malone took over.

 

[nuts4scuba]

Malone and TCI were the reasons I left cable for sat. High price and lack of channels.

 

[Rey]

I suspect that Malone is just passing by. If it gets real bad, lots will leave but so far I'm good.