Time Warner getting out of the cable distribution business

[jal41]

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/04/28/daily56.html?surround=lfn

Time Warner is getting rid of it's cable unit (Time Warner Cable).

 

[notalkallstatic]

Now, if they can get rid of AOL they will be in good shape.

Of all the "compaines" that Time Warner ownes, I heard that Turner Broadcasting is the most profitable one for them. Can anyone confirm that?

I would still like to see TW buy The Weather Channel.

 

[ShawnHill1]

As I stated many times here, I live in a Time Warner Cable service territory, but my particular area was previously serviced by Comcast. It looks like we'll have the seventh different cable provider in the last 20 years (at least in name only). Since I came back to California in '88, we've had American Cable Systems, which in turn became Continental Cablevision, which later became MediaOne (I believe through a merger with TCI and Continental), and that later became AT&T Broadband (again, another merger/outright purchase), and then got Comcast when AT&T sold off its cable unit, and now Time Warner taking over the rest of Southern California (most it, anyway) as part of its purchase of Adelphia and the trade off of systems with Comcast.

I can't see it being bought entirely as an unit, so we could see some different providers snapping up several clusters. In Southern California, outside of Time Warner, the next biggest operators are Charter and Cox, and I could see them being the biggest bidders.

 

[Garrett]

Are they talking about their Cable TV channels or their in-home Cable/Internet services? This article is too broad, it does not specifiy. If they got rid of their channels, like CNN and TBS, etc, They just be back to being Time Magazine and Warner Bros. Studios.

 

[notalkallstatic]

Are they talking about their Cable TV channels or their in-home Cable/Internet services? This article is too broad, it does not specifiy. If they got rid of their channels, like CNN and TBS, etc, They just be back to being Time Magazine and Warner Bros. Studios.

From what I understand, they are talking about their Cable/Internet Services.

They will NOT be selling CNN, TBS, etc.

 

[azumanga]

In Southern California, outside of Time Warner, the next biggest operators are Charter and Cox, and I could see them being the biggest bidders.

Pray that Charter does not buy your system (or any Time Warner system) -- as I heard, Charter is terrible (and Consumer Reports concurs).

Of course, I wouldn't discount another company entering the market, or even state -- maybe Bright House (which has a system in Bakersfield, though most of its subs are in central Florida) may use this opportunity to expand into LA and San Diego.

Then again, maybe an all-new company may be created out of this.

 

[ansky212]

Are they sellling their NY1 news channel in NYC?

 

[Mediafrog+]

Pray that Charter does not buy your system (or any Time Warner system) -- as I heard, Charter is terrible (and Consumer Reports concurs).

Charter has been notorious for dragging its feet on digital upgrades, although competition from other sources appears to be getting them off their butts.

 

[ShawnHill1]

In Southern California, outside of Time Warner, the next biggest operators are Charter and Cox, and I could see them being the biggest bidders.

Pray that Charter does not buy your system (or any Time Warner system) -- as I heard, Charter is terrible (and Consumer Reports concurs).

Of course, I wouldn't discount another company entering the market, or even state -- maybe Bright House (which has a system in Bakersfield, though most of its subs are in central Florida) may use this opportunity to expand into LA and San Diego.

Then again, maybe an all-new company may be created out of this.

I agree...Charter doesn't have a good rep around these parts anyway. I thought about Bright House, since they themselves were once part of Time Warner Cable. I wouldn't be surprised if Comcast makes a return back into the Los Angeles area. Thinking about other markets, New York City for instance...you could see Comcast and Cablevision fighting over Time Warner's territory, and whomever winds up with that could have larger control of SportsNet New York. You know that Cablevision would love to add Mets baseball back to its programming lineup. Lots of scenarios to think about.

 

[jal41]

Time Warner Cable is a standalone publicly-traded company that Time Warner had majority ownership in. No one will be buying Time Warner Cable as a whole...only the ownership interest Time Warner has. It will (most likely) remain a standalone company (albeit with a new name).