Fighting back; although everybody is trying to get into their business, the cable giants think technology is on their side
Article Abstract:
The cable TV industry is still a monopoly in most areas and controls 65% of the market, but it now faces competition from telephone companies, satellite services and wireless cable services. The cable companies are responding by offering new services, such as Internet access. The At Home service, a joint venture funded by Tele-Communications Inc, Comcast Corp, Cox Communications and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, is targeting the Internet access market. Time Warner has already introduced its Road Runner online service. These services run over existing cables used to provide cable television, but require special cable modems. The technology provides Internet connections that perform at hundreds of times the speed of connections over traditional copper phone lines. At Home's approach will combine rented long-distance lines and cable wires to store popular Web sites and to offer customized services.
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Resistance surfaces to NBC's proposal for all-news channel with Microsoft
Article Abstract:
A proposed cable-TV news service funded and supported by a joint Microsoft/NBC coalition is being met with resistance by a group of cable operators. The group suggests that the root of its displeasure with the planned MSNBC news service is that it will replace America's Talking, an NBC-owned cable service that is contracted to provide a talk-show format at all times. NBC suggests that the switch to an all-news format is within its contractual rights, and officials of the large cable operator Tele-Communications have indicated that they will support NBC's MSNBC venture. However, operators such as Jones Intercable, Comcast and Continental Cablevision have failed to commit to offering the new channel to their base of subscribers, suggesting that they will view the service before making a decision.
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
News Corp., TCI affiliate are in talks seeking to acquire Primestar majority
Article Abstract:
Tele-Communications Inc.'s United Video Satellite Group and News Corp. are in negotiations with the goal of acquiring a majority interest in the direct satellite service company Primestar Partners LP. The deal, according to industry analysts, probably will not be completed until the acquisition of TCI by AT&T Corp. is completed. The deal would allow News Corp. to transfer two satellites and a license to Primestar by reducing the control of cable operators, such as Cox Communications Inc., over the company.
Comment:
Has been talking with News Corp. with the aim of acquiring a majority stake in Primestar Partners LP
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1998
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Compuserve changes focus to home office and businesses. Judge rules that Prodigy is liable for user comments. Prodigy sees quick growth from Internet Web service
- Abstracts: Bell Atlantic, GTE hold merger talks; deal, for up to $55 billion, would create a giant in telecommunications
- Abstracts: Will miniature phones ring up bigger sales? Still one way: two-way paging was going to be the industry's next big thing. What happened?
- Abstracts: What went wrong for William Razzouk at AOL. At thousands of Web sites, time stands still
- Abstracts: Chip output is being cut by Samsung; oversupply has led to big fall in prices. Japan chip maker unveils next-generation prototype; NEC says unit has capacity of 4 gigabits