11-06-01, 07:51 AM
Cable operators say better Ergen in charge of DirecTV than Murdoch
By John M. Higgins
Broadcasting & Cable
11/5/2001
As satellite TV rivals, EchoStar and DirecTV grabbed 20% of the multichannel video market and virtually halted cable's subscriber growth. Now EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen is threatening to cut more deeply into cable with his deal to combine with DirecTV.
Looking for howls of protest? Try sighs of relief. Cable operators are actually chipper about the $30 billion deal. By dramatically snatching DirecTV away from nemesis Rupert Murdoch, Ergen not only continued his record of besting the Australian media mogul but also removed what cable operators had seen as a potential nightmare.
"Deep, deep down, Rupert scares me more," said the CEO of one cable operator. "He could be one big, bad competitor."
Said another industry executive, "If you're cable, you're thrilled. Rupert had content. As a cable operator, you just had the best day of your life."
Read the rest at Broadcasting & Cable (http://www.tvinsite.com/broadcastingcable/index.asp?layout=story_stocks&articleid=CA181138&doc_id=54756&pubdate=11/05/2001)
By John M. Higgins
Broadcasting & Cable
11/5/2001
As satellite TV rivals, EchoStar and DirecTV grabbed 20% of the multichannel video market and virtually halted cable's subscriber growth. Now EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen is threatening to cut more deeply into cable with his deal to combine with DirecTV.
Looking for howls of protest? Try sighs of relief. Cable operators are actually chipper about the $30 billion deal. By dramatically snatching DirecTV away from nemesis Rupert Murdoch, Ergen not only continued his record of besting the Australian media mogul but also removed what cable operators had seen as a potential nightmare.
"Deep, deep down, Rupert scares me more," said the CEO of one cable operator. "He could be one big, bad competitor."
Said another industry executive, "If you're cable, you're thrilled. Rupert had content. As a cable operator, you just had the best day of your life."
Read the rest at Broadcasting & Cable (http://www.tvinsite.com/broadcastingcable/index.asp?layout=story_stocks&articleid=CA181138&doc_id=54756&pubdate=11/05/2001)