How Comcast Just Conquered America in Two Simple GIFs

[onehandle]

It's a sad day for consumers as the rumored merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable is moving forward. What does it look like when the two biggest cable companies in the country jump into the sack together? The map above gives you an idea. It ain't pretty.

The original image taken from a 2011 report on the country's top cable providers gives an even starker picture of how Comcast's territory will expand.

Important segments of the map that were basically vacant for Comcast before like New York, Southern California, Ohio, and the Carolinas will now be absorbed into Comcast's domain. One company is about to be a controlling force in broadband and cable in that huge swath of land. Yup, America's about to be blue in the face with Comcast.





http://gizmodo.com/how-comcast-conquered-america-in-two-simple-gifs-1522171434

[ChisolmTrailDem]

1. This cannot be allowed to happen, even if we have to protest in their offices! nt

[liberal N proud]

2. Why did the government bust up MaBell?

So these guys could re-monopolize?

[Blue_Tires]

6. I don't even know if the history of monopoly-breaking is even taught in school

anymore these days...

[Scuba]

3. "All the News We Want You to Know"

[MANative]

4. While this is certainly a bad thing, their reach is already insidiously creeping...

into every single American home through their purchase of NBCUniversal last year (IIRC). I despise them, but have no other alternatives where I live because I require broadband service for my business. It's them or really slow DSL (we're at the far end of the service line).

[AndyTiedye]

20. No DSL here, Only Comcast and Verizon Cellular

Down the hill a little ways, they can't even get either of those.
Satellite is blocked by the mountain. They're stuck with dial-up.

[hunter]

5. I gave comcast the boot years ago. No satellite tv either.

I truly wish there was a public internet service, just as there are public streets and highways.

[Cleita]

9. That's the way it should be. Access to information is part of the commons like

public streets and highways. This was supposedly why our ancestors instituted public libraries and public schools. Supposedly our airwaves belong to the people too, but you'd never know it considering how much they have been taken over by big business and propaganda interests.

[JDPriestly]

17. Yes. We need a public internet service.

We were with Time-Warner for our internet service. Now I guess we will be with Comcast.

The antitrust laws should be strengthened and enforced. That's the only way to have a workable capitalism. What we have now is not capitalism in my view. It is too difficult for smaller companies to compete.

Our news is in the hands of too few companies and people.

Please support Pacifica radio and other really free non-profit media.

There are some good programs on the internet. RealNews, TYT come to mind.

Democracy Now and Thom Hartmann are affiliated with KPFK my affiliate Pacifica station. Use and strengthen alternative media. It's the only way we can remain a fairly free and moderately informed society.

[customerserviceguy]

7. Fortunately

it has no effect whatsoever on the Winegard antenna I have up on the top of the bookcase to get commercial-ridden TV for free. Screw the cable companies.

[Cleita]

10. Where I live we can't even get that because of the hilly nature of the terrain.

So we are stuck with cable or satellite.

[customerserviceguy]

12. I'll admit

it's not for everyone. However, it is a compensation for having to deal with a more urbanized area with higher prices, more congested traffic, etc. If I lived far away from a major city's TV antennas, I'd probably pay less in rent, which would subsidize satellite. I'm done with the cable companies forever, though.

The Internet is providing alternatives for people who have high speed connections, and they're finding more wireless ways to get that connection to people. I have friends out in the boondocks of northwestern NJ who use a Mi-Fi box, and they get way faster Internet than I get from my DSL.

[KamaAina]

8. The networks, including NBC, have limits on what percentage of viewers they can reach

through their own owned and operated stations.

Yet NBC's parent Comcast thinks it can get away with this.

[xxqqqzme]

11. My TWC bill, with

no premium channels is already over $120/mo. I cannot imagine what it will be after a merger. Of course this may be a good thing, people won't be able to afford being brainwashed 24/7.

[Scalded Nun]

13. Look in the dictionary folks...

Monopolize precedes sodomize.

Not necessarily intending to offend, but I certainly feel like we are getting fucked daily...and not in a good way.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. Built this for the old place....

It's a scaled up outdoor version of this:

I got 100% on all channels.

[Doremus]

16. What channels do you get with it?

Just local networks, or others too?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. It was the LA area so there were tons of smaller stations....

The number really adds up with all the sub-stations so you get like channel 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 each with different content. One was a movie channel with no or limited commercials.

[tom_kelly]

15. If this goes through

the best way to protest it is to drop your service. It wasn't easy for me at first. But the savings of $90 a month helps. Besides, you can get about 23 channels without cable. Pick up a converter at RadioShack. It would make a big hit on them...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

19. Switch to the PUBLIC airwaves. The ones WE own.

[AndyTiedye]

21. I Don't Even Watch TV, but Comcast is the Only Broadband Internet Provider Here

unless you count capped 4G cellular via Verizon (and a weak signal to boot).