I'm not married to a TV provider or any corporation for that matter. If I'm going to spend my hard earned money on a service every month, I need to be happy with that service or move on to someone else. Believe it or not, they are supposed to work for us, not the other way around. You think the best option is to buy out their competition so they don't have to worry about making their customers happy anymore? I think a better option is focusing on offering great packages, service, and equipment instead so customers don't want to leave. I'm not saying that they aren't trying to do this but your hypothetical scenario is a little scary to me.
By your logic, we may as well have a monopoly in every industry. That way those whiny customers will quit shopping around for the best service and price. Big business is doing okay already. I'm not sure why anyone would advocate for less choice unless they are a major shareholder in the company taking over.
People would still switch providers. Instead of satellite they would just go to FiOS, Uverse, or their local cable company. Most people would still have more than one option for TV.
Let's just get it over with and have one super-corporation that owns everything...oh yeah, that's been done already, and everyone knows how efficient the government is.
Unfortunately, that's where we seem to be headed when it comes to Comcast and the FCC/Justice Dept keeps letting them get away it. Bloomberg had a good article on what Comcast's CEO envisions for the company.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-02-20/comcasts-ambitions-go-beyond-cable-to-digital
Yup, He wants Comcast to offer pretty much everything when it comes to Media, Entertainment, and Telecommunications and of course he wants us all to subscribe and not b**** about it (and I'm sure he'll gladly rip us off as well). He's already pretty close to doing it. Take a look:
TV Provider:
Comcast says- you want tv, you come to us if we're available. Don't bother even looking at Satellite. The signal always goes out in bad weather. The Truth: We all know the Satellite myth is BS.
TV Broadcaster:
Comcast says- We own NBC and Telemundo, the best TV networks in the world. Don't even bother looking at Fox, ABC, or CBS or Univision. They only broadcast crap. The truth: Everyone has different tastes when it comes to TV. Thank god for competition there.
TV Programmer:
Comcast says- We own 20 cable channels plus a whole bunch of regional sports channels and they're awesome. Don't bother watching anything not owned by us. Why? Well, if nobody watches those other channels, there ratings go down and we won't have to pay as much for or even drop them all together and we'll pass the savings on to you! The truth: They wish they could be able to do that without consequences and no, they'll keep all the profits themselves and even raise prices just for the hell of it.
Internet Provider:
Comcast says- If you want high speed internet, you come to us. Don't even look at Satellite Internet or AT&T; those guys have data caps.The truth: If Comcast is the only wireline high speed internet provider available, then you may not have much of a choice there. And I wouldn't be surprised if they try to put their own data caps in the future.
Home phone:
Comcast says- If you need home phone, bundle it with TV and Internet and it's a great deal. The Truth: There are quite a few devices out now that can give you reliable home phone service for a lot less.
Movie Studio:
Comcast says- We own Universal Studios which makes the best movies in the world. The Truth: Just like with TV, Everyone has different tastes when it comes to movies. Again thank god for competition (although it's really an oligopoly at this point).
Amusement Park: Comcast says- Take the kids to Universal Studios in Hollywood or Orlando, the coolest parks in the world. The Truth: A lot of kids would disagree and choose Disney. And it's not like Universal's prices are really any cheaper either.
Wireless: OK Comcast is not in the wireless business yet, but they are offering gift cards if you purchase Verizon Wireless service through their website. Honestly though, if the Comcast-TWC merger goes through, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to merge with Verizon in the forseeable future. Just my 2 cents.
Another example of a company owning almost everything is Bell Canada. They pretty much own everything except for a movie studio and an amusement park.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Canada
