In a Wall Street Journal piece Fri, soon-be-filing-for-bankruptcy overbuilder RCN’s chmn David McCourt asserts, "The cable industry remains in the grip of a monopoly mindset." McCourt says cable operators, instead of competing, "simply exchange geographic service areas, so that each side can expand their local fiefdoms-the same business model championed by Tony Soprano." Gosh. McCourt also makes an impassioned plea for a la carte (without calling it that). But, with tremendous chutzpah, McCourt says cable will face competition because "bankruptcy is not the end." Indeed, he asserts the wave of bankruptcies, of which he’ll soon be one, "will help launch a new era in telecom." How? Easy, no debt. Some business plan. – PSM

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Friday–March 20

What’s Next? Dissecting Nexstar-Tegna’s Closing, Legal Challenges

While Nexstar says its $6.2 billion deal with Tegna has closed, there is still the matter of eight state attorneys general and DirecTV suing to block the deal. On Friday, the coalition of states filed a motion for a temporary restraining order that would prevent any integration and consolidation of Nexstar and Tegna.

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