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From: alvitar@madhat.UUCP
Newsgroups: news.stargate
Subject: Re: Stargate
Message-ID: <218@madhat.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 13-Jun-87 20:28:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: madhat.218
Posted: Sat Jun 13 20:28:15 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 14-Jun-87 21:59:53 EDT
References: <109@stargate.UUCP> <3254@well.UUCP> <306@ssbn.UUCP> <3280@well.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: DataVision, Huntsville AL
Lines: 39
Summary: competition works in the cable world

In article <3280@well.UUCP>, rab@well.UUCP (Bob Bickford) writes:
> In a previous article, Bill Kennedy writes:
> >
> > The premium services ... send money to the nearest cable company
> > for my subscription rather than giving me a break on the rate.
> >
> The cable companies get away with this idiocy because they have a
> monopoly -- enforced by the local government -- on service in their area.
> ... the result is to benefit the cable companies, screw you and me.

I  am  pleased  to report that competition does work in the cable world.
After  years  of  suffereing  from  the  high  rates and poor service of
Comcast  (formerly  Group-W  cable,  a Westinghouse subsidiary) our city
councilmen  had  the foresight to open the market to competition.  Cable
Alabama  threw  their  hat into the ring, and soon Huntsville was one of
the  few cities to have multiple cable options.  Cable Alabama installed
a much better system, using better cable and equipment, and offered alot
more channels.  They also undercut Comcast fees by a substantial margin.
I  converted  to  the new service as soon as it was available in my area
because  Comcast  only  carried the local NBC affiliate, which preempted
David  Lettermen  in  order  to  air Jimmy Swaggart.  The Birmingham NBC
affiliate  was  carried  by  Cable  Alabama.  They tape delay Carson and
Letterman one hour.

It  didn't  take long for Comcast to feel the wrath of their long abused
clientele,  and  they  soon had to cut their rates substantially.  Their
rates  are  now  lower  than  Cable Alabama, mainly because people would
prefer  the  better  service.   The local NBC affiliate also moved Jimmy
back  an  hour, and started airing Letterman again (yeah!) so now I have
"Redundant Late Night".  If I miss it at 11:30, I catch it at 12:30.  If
your  local public officials are lacking in foresight, suggest that they
consider  Huntsville  as  a  case  study  in  how  free  enterprise  and
competition still work in America.

-- 
Live: Phil Harbison
USPS: 3409 Grassfort Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805-5421
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