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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Cable Tells FCC to Say No to Forced ATSC 3.0 Transition

Cable is pushing back against a broadcast proposal for a mandatory ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV transition, saying it would be costly and unwanted by consumers. NAB wants the FCC to require most stations to fully transition to ATSC 3.0 by February 2028.

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