http://news.yahoo.com/comcast-plans-acquire-time-warner-cable-45-2-031440546--sector.html
FUCK!!!!!! And the world got even shittier. :angry:
QuoteComcast , the largest U.S. cable company, will buy No. 2 Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion in an all-stock deal, or $158.82 per share, according to people familiar with the matter.
Comcast is planning to acquire all of Time Warner Cable's shares in a friendly deal set to be announced on Thursday morning, said the sources, who did not want to be identified because the matter was not public.
The proposed combination would be subject to regulatory approval and the two companies expect to close the transaction by the end of the year, the sources said.
Representatives of Comcast and Time Warner Cable declined to comment.
The proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable would create $1.5 billion in operating synergies, with 50 percent of those synergies expected in the first year, the sources said. Comcast is planning to divest 3 million of its U.S. subscribers as part of the deal.
The deal will be accretive to Comcast, which plans to expand its stock buyback program to $10 billion at the close of the transaction, they said.
Smaller cable operator Charter Communications had also been pursuing Time Warner Cable. Charter offered $132.50 per share in a cash and stock deal last month that was rejected.
Quote
The proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable would create $1.5 billion in operating synergies
Oooo synergies. Get ready for some shareholder value.
Sounds like a trust that needs to be busted.
Edit: Or nationalized.
Quote from: Neil on February 13, 2014, 12:17:21 AM
Sounds like a trust that needs to be busted.
Edit: Or nationalized.
Could only improve it.
I'd watch nationalized cable.
BBC? No, USmofuckinA.
I think this is one time where I'd be fine opting for a nationalized internet. Information wants to be free, Obama.
:)
I suppose I should have said when and not where. I'm steamed. :angry: :blush:
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2014, 12:52:00 AM
I suppose I should have said when and not where. I'm steamed. :angry: :blush:
garbon <_<
Quote from: fhdz on February 13, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2014, 12:52:00 AM
I suppose I should have said when and not where. I'm steamed. :angry: :blush:
garbon <_<
Not even the most strict employer will take issue with steamed. :)
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2014, 01:01:39 AM
Quote from: fhdz on February 13, 2014, 12:55:25 AM
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2014, 12:52:00 AM
I suppose I should have said when and not where. I'm steamed. :angry: :blush:
garbon <_<
Not even the most strict employer will take issue with steamed. :)
:D My employers are Catholic. I'm sure they'd find something wrong.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 13, 2014, 12:06:30 AM
Quote
The proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable would create $1.5 billion in operating synergies
Oooo synergies. Get ready for some shareholder value.
I'm sure Yi is going to make out like a bandit on this deal.
I get internet from Time Warner Cable for about $70/month. 30mbps down; 5 mbps up
Will prices go up or speeds get faster?
I'm guessing prices will go up, speeds will go down and customer service will sag. :P
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 13, 2014, 01:35:01 AM
I'm guessing prices will go up, speeds will go down and customer service will sag. :P
Progress!
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 13, 2014, 01:35:01 AM
I'm guessing prices will go up, speeds will go down and customer service will sag. :P
Shareholders: win.
Thank Hod Charter lost out. One of their main call centers is in the office building next to mine, and there are already enough scummy dudes stinking the parking lot up with their smoking and taking up all the parking places with their floppy jalopies. :sleep:
Quote from: fhdz on February 13, 2014, 02:04:44 AM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 13, 2014, 01:35:01 AM
I'm guessing prices will go up, speeds will go down and customer service will sag. :P
Shareholders: win.
YES. :)
JIGGLE JIM CRAMER, JIGGLE!
How does the #1 cable company buying the #2 cable company NOT run afoul of anti-monopoly laws?
Two of the most loathsome monopolistic giants merge together? Ah hell...the only thing that would make this better is if AT&T then bought Comcast.
You fuckers are harshing my buzz.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-comcast-20140212,0,4158731.story#axzz2tDGLGhts
QuoteComcast to buy Time Warner Cable: Say goodbye to the public interest
Reports are swirling around the media universe that Comcast is prepared to announce, as early as Thursday, a deal to acquire Time Warner Cable for north of $45 billion.
The deal would combine the nation's biggest and second-biggest cable firms. Comcast, already No. 1 in subscribers, would end up with about 30 million video customers, a net gain of 8 million (following a reported commitment to divest 3 million subs). It would put that subscriber base together with its ownership of NBCUniversal -- the network, the film studio and several other cable channels.
Let's get to the bottom line. There's no way this combination can conceivably be in the public interest. The deal is a blunt challenge to the Federal Communications Commission and its new chairman, Tom Wheeler; the question is whether the FCC will fold against the economic and political power of these two behemoths.
As the leading provider of Internet services to American homes, Comcast has already shown that it's not above using its effective near-monopoly on Internet connectivity in its service area to stifle competitors. The FCC slapped its wrist after it was caught engaging in this illicit behavior in 2007, but then inexplicably waved through Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011.
The acquisition of Time Warner Cable will simply expand the geographical area subject to its ruthless competitive practices. (Comcast is committed to adhering to standards of net neutrality, which forbid its discriminating among Web services in carrying them to subscribers' homes, until January 2018. That was a condition of the NBCUniversal deal, but after that date the shackles are off.)
Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal was a deal that the FCC should never have approved. Here's what we wrote about it in 2011:
"Neither Comcast nor NBC needs this merger for its survival. It won't improve cable TV or Internet technology. It won't by itself lead to more innovative or even more popular television programming. It won't result in more efficient entertainment production.
"In fact, by concentrating economic power in fewer hands, it may lead to less of all that."
Nothing that's happened since the merger has contradicted those predictions.
In fact, since then the threat to a free and open Internet from the concentration of economic power over online services has increased. A federal appeals court ruling last month threw out the FCC's rules protecting the open Internet (on the urging of Verizon, which is Comcast's counterpart as an excessively powerful player in the wireless sphere).
As we wrote at the time, the court ruling made clear that the FCC has all the authority it needs to protect net neutrality, if it only goes about it the right way, but Wheeler has yet to tip his hand about whether, or how, he will do that.
Wheeler spoke publicly just three days ago about "the primacy of 'competition, competition, competition,'" in safeguarding the public interest: "Our competition policy will take the 'see-saw' approach," he told a high-tech conference in Boulder, Colo. "When competition is high, regulation can be low; when competition is low, we are willing to act in the public interest."
The Comcast-Time Warner deal manifestly would be disastrous for the competitive landscape Wheeler says is his paramount goal. The principles he articulated dictate that he and his fellow FCC commissioners must block it. Will he stick to his guns?
"Public interest"? "Anti-monopoly laws"? "Competitive landscape"? Stop hating America, you fucking communists.
Quote from: Berkut on February 13, 2014, 09:37:57 AM
How does the #1 cable company buying the #2 cable company NOT run afoul of anti-monopoly laws?
All cable companies are regional monopolies. That's why their rates and services are regulated and subject to approval.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2014, 09:48:21 AM
All cable companies are regional monopolies. That's why their rates and services are regulated and subject to approval.
Antiquated bullshit is what that is.
Quote from: Valmy on February 13, 2014, 09:54:56 AM
Antiquated bullshit is what that is.
What would the modern way be?
This deal stinks. Time Warner sits three places below DirecTV on the Fortune 500, and their numbers are very similar. So to give you an idea how bad this deal is, it'd be like Comcast buying out DirecTV directly. I really hope someone points out the antitrust involved.
Anti-trust. You people are so Taft Administration.
Wake up, faggots. When are you going to fucking learn that it's all about shareholder value anymore. #1 absorbing #2 is what drives profit and the market.
Anti-trust is for baseball and 10th grade US history class.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 13, 2014, 10:08:51 AM
Wake up, faggots. When are you going to fucking learn that it's all about shareholder value anymore. #1 absorbing #2 is what drives profit and the market.
And yet the government has prevented mergers in the 21st century. :hmm:
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2014, 09:58:14 AM
Quote from: Valmy on February 13, 2014, 09:54:56 AM
Antiquated bullshit is what that is.
What would the modern way be?
Have competitors using the same infrastructure like areas where power companies compete.
Quote from: Valmy on February 13, 2014, 10:27:48 AM
Have competitors using the same infrastructure like areas where power companies compete.
I like that idea too, but that still leaves you with a regulated monopoly that builds and maintains the infrastructure.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2014, 10:29:12 AM
Quote from: Valmy on February 13, 2014, 10:27:48 AM
Have competitors using the same infrastructure like areas where power companies compete.
I like that idea too, but that still leaves you with a regulated monopoly that builds and maintains the infrastructure.
So like interstate highways.
Quote from: garbon on February 13, 2014, 10:13:29 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 13, 2014, 10:08:51 AM
Wake up, faggots. When are you going to fucking learn that it's all about shareholder value anymore. #1 absorbing #2 is what drives profit and the market.
And yet the government has prevented mergers in the 21st century. :hmm:
Pfft, the occasional window dressing.
They stop big airline mergers because the airline industry is as fucked up as it is, and they require government assistance in not fucking their own faces.
Besides, this is an acquisition, not a merger.
What monopoly-creating mergers were you thinking of Seedy? :hmm:
I think we were thinking of this one, Seeds: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempted_purchase_of_T-Mobile_USA_by_AT%26T
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2014, 10:38:51 AM
What monopoly-creating mergers were you thinking of Seedy? :hmm:
Who said anything about creating monopolies? I certainly didn't.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on February 13, 2014, 10:40:48 AM
I think we were thinking of this one, Seeds: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempted_purchase_of_T-Mobile_USA_by_AT%26T
There were tangible homeland security concerns involved with that.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 13, 2014, 10:47:55 AM
Who said anything about creating monopolies? I certainly didn't.
That's generally what most people mean when they talk about anti-trust.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2014, 10:54:05 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 13, 2014, 10:47:55 AM
Who said anything about creating monopolies? I certainly didn't.
That's generally what most people mean when they talk about anti-trust.
Anti-trust, while an archaic concept, still has nothing to do with this particular acquisition.
You win.
Eat me.
Eat yourself.
No ROI in it.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2014, 11:04:26 AM
Eat yourself.
It's generally considered healthier to eat the rich.
Cocmast: fucking America, one takeover at a time.
Ugh... this definitely shouldn't be allowed to go through.
Think positively. There will be one less horrible company in the world.
Quote from: alfred russel on February 13, 2014, 02:16:14 PM
There will be one less horrible company in the world.
Just with one much larger instead.
Talking about Monopoly.
Last night I landed on Time Square my wife owned with 2 houses on it. $14mill! :mad:, two turns later I was bankrupt and out of the game. :(
Original Atlantic City properties or GTFO.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 13, 2014, 02:17:18 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on February 13, 2014, 02:16:14 PM
There will be one less horrible company in the world.
Just with one much larger instead.
It's some hideous Voltron of bad companies.
Quote from: lustindarkness on February 13, 2014, 02:26:47 PM
Talking about Monopoly.
Last night I landed on Time Square my wife owned with 2 houses on it. $14mill! :mad:, two turns later I was bankrupt and out of the game. :(
You must have been playing one of those theme Monopoly games, because there's no Time Square in Monopoly, and the most that any property charges is $2000 for Boardwalk with a hotel.
Newer lazy version with credit cards. Have no idea of what theme if any.
Credit cards in monopoly is a brilliant idea. 3/4 of the time you spend is counting change.
You must be playing the 1% version.
Quote from: Neil on February 13, 2014, 03:08:10 PM
You must have been playing one of those theme Monopoly games, because there's no Time Square in Monopoly, and the most that any property charges is $2000 for Boardwalk with a hotel.
Yep. Times Square is NYC- vanilla monopoly is Atlantic City.
Quote from: lustindarkness on February 13, 2014, 03:35:30 PM
Newer lazy version with credit cards. Have no idea of what theme if any.
I loathe that version of monopoly.
Quote from: Ed Anger on February 13, 2014, 04:29:10 PM
Quote from: lustindarkness on February 13, 2014, 03:35:30 PM
Newer lazy version with credit cards. Have no idea of what theme if any.
I loathe that version of monopoly.
Good, I don't have to share my beer with you then.
Quote from: lustindarkness on February 13, 2014, 04:32:25 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on February 13, 2014, 04:29:10 PM
Quote from: lustindarkness on February 13, 2014, 03:35:30 PM
Newer lazy version with credit cards. Have no idea of what theme if any.
I loathe that version of monopoly.
Good, I don't have to share my beer with you then.
I don't drink beer and I want to cheat at the game.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 13, 2014, 01:35:01 AM
I'm guessing prices will go up, speeds will go down and customer service will sag. :P
I'm not sure it's possible to have customer service worse than what Time-Warner already offers.
Actually, the ladies in our local TWI office are nice and helpful. Unfortunately, we can't just call them anymore. We used to be able to, but now if we call, we are answered in a call center in another state.
BTW, I had an unopened Star Wars Monopoly game set. During my last deployment the kids opened it to play. <_<
Oh well, I still have a Star Wars Monopoly game set.
Quote from: Caliga on February 13, 2014, 05:59:00 AM
Thank Hod Charter lost out. One of their main call centers is in the office building next to mine, and there are already enough scummy dudes stinking the parking lot up with their smoking and taking up all the parking places with their floppy jalopies. :sleep:
How does that privilege taste, man? It must be like ten of the best gas station chili dogs you've ever had, all at once.
When we were kids, we made our own Monopoly board with streets in our own town on there. Our house and our garage were Mediterranean and Baltic.
Quote from: Ideologue on February 13, 2014, 08:16:30 PM
Quote from: Caliga on February 13, 2014, 05:59:00 AM
Thank Hod Charter lost out. One of their main call centers is in the office building next to mine, and there are already enough scummy dudes stinking the parking lot up with their smoking and taking up all the parking places with their floppy jalopies. :sleep:
How does that privilege taste, man? It must be like ten of the best gas station chili dogs you've ever had, all at once.
Anyone can gain social status by being a non-smoker.
Quote from: lustindarkness on February 13, 2014, 07:05:37 PM
BTW, I had an unopened Star Wars Monopoly game set. During my last deployment the kids opened it to play. <_<
Oh well, I still have a Star Wars Monopoly game set.
Don't buy Death Star properties. I have a inside tip that you'll lose your investment.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 13, 2014, 09:48:21 AM
Quote from: Berkut on February 13, 2014, 09:37:57 AM
How does the #1 cable company buying the #2 cable company NOT run afoul of anti-monopoly laws?
All cable companies are regional monopolies. That's why their rates and services are regulated and subject to approval.
See guys? Everything is OK.