On 12/19/2014 3:36 PM, 'Chris de Morsella' via Everything List wrote:
How is Comcast -- to take one example *not* functionally a monopoly? It is a monopoly where I live; I have no other cable provider I can choose from (DirectTV is not cable).
No but it's a competitor. Why should you care how the signal arrives at your home. I have DirecTV and I like it. I switched from Verizon cable.
For me and for millions of people in similar captive markets Comcast is a monopoly. Comcast also controls the lion share of all media content produced and distributed in the US. In sector after sector of our economy politically well connected vested interests control by far the largest portion of total market share. A free market needs to be protected from concentration of power in order to remain free; otherwise it will soon enough become captivated by colluding interests.
I'm not a lawyer, so I can't really address the legal definition of monopoly, but I very much doubt that it means having only one provider of service X. Suppose you lived in a small town and there was only one doctor; would that make him a monopoly? I'm sure Comcast doesn't have the lion's share of media content (the lion's share means ALL). And just having MOST of some market doesn't make you a monopoly (c.f. Microsoft) either. I think the law also recognizes "natural monopolies" such as phone companies but I'm not up on the legal definitions and cases. I know a DC lawyer/lobbyist whose clients are small communications companies. His main job is watching legislation to see that corporations like Comcast or Timewarner aren't sneaking in some entrance barrier or regulatory obstruction that would disadvantage small communications companies.
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