Bailey Cable TV shut down

[lukesams]

In a rare move, Bailey Cable TV discontinued not only its TV service, but its phone and internet services were shut down as well.

This Cable TV Company Shut Down Its TV and Internet Services Without Warning After Suddenly Going Out of Business | Cord Cutters News

Bailey Cable TV, a company that serves over a dozen towns in Mississippi and Louisiana, suddenly shut down last week, according to WAFB. Bailey Cable TV customers said they received a recorded message that the company had shuttered after losing services on November 30. Customers won’t be billed...

cordcuttersnews.com

 

[Mikey Radio]

Their customers are in Louisiana and Mississippi so hopefully another provider can and will step up. Otherwise, there's always dish, Starlink and other options, at least in the interim if subscribers lose cable, phone and internet.

 

[Kelly A]

Their customers are in Louisiana and Mississippi so hopefully another provider can and will step up. Otherwise, there's always dish, Starlink and other options, at least in the interim if subscribers lose cable, phone and internet.

All true, but the FCC and other government watchdog agencies need to hold whoever made this decision to shut down with no prior notice accountable. Cable has become more than a way to watch TV, it's Internet and VoIP phone for many. It's a utility, not unlike power or water. And I'm willing to bet Bailey serves a lot of lower-to-middle-income communities in Mississippi and Louisiana. It's always the lower-income and seniors that take it in the shorts for these businesses that run on the ragged edge of solvency. And even though there are options like Starlink and other satellite or cellular-based Internet plans, there's usually a significant start-up cost. People on social security or a fixed income may not have $400 to drop on a new Starlink, or $1,000 on a Directway or Viasat dish.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

This was mentioned at the "Worst Cable Systems in America" thread.

https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/worst-cable-systems-in-america.662567/post-5968693

 

[mbclev]

Maybe Spectrum might come in and take over Bailey Cable's former service, because Spectrum serves parishes east of Bailey's Louisiana service area.

 

[secondchoice]

Weren't the "cable" franchises (state?) regulated like the telephone systems. I wonder if the "telephone" operater has been very competitive with their DSL service. There was a program some kind of "rural connection" in the last stimulus bill that supplement folks internet bills.

Unless the outdoor plant is in real bad shape or there are just not enough customers per mile discontinuing running something already built is questionable. If there are bond holders they should figure out a way to take over and get some cash flowing in.

The local city or country government should find grants money to buy the system. (It should be cheap). Another option could have been "selling" to the customers "CO-OP". We have one in my county that does electric power to the areas GA power would not serve in the 1930s.