Timothy B. Lee — Comcast’s deal with Netflix makes network neutrality obsolete

Clonal: The Internet backbone was built with Federal dollars. It will take Federal dollars to keep it alive. Netflix is just killing the internet
and net neutrality. No private investment to increase bandwidth. It just
will not produce enough returns!

The Washington Post
Comcast’s deal with Netflix makes network neutrality obsolete
Timothy B. Lee

(h/t Clonal via email)

David Ingram — Not a typo, monopsony in spotlight in U.S. cable deal

If U.S. antitrust enforcers decide to challenge the proposed $45 billion merger of Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc, it may be because of an idea with a funny-sounding name that has been gaining currency in government offices.

The idea is monopsony power, the mirror image of the better-known monopoly power but a concept that is just as old.

A monopoly is one seller with many buyers, while a monopsony (pronounced muh-NOP-suh-nee) is one buyer with many sellers. A textbook example is a milk processor that is the only option for dairy farmers to sell to, and that then forces farmers to sell for less.

Reuters
Not a typo, monopsony in spotlight in U.S. cable deal
David Ingram

Mark Thoma — 'Time to Get Real on Comcast-Time Warner'

In general, I don't think that we pay enough attention to the problems that are associated with market power.

Economist's View
'Time to Get Real on Comcast-Time Warner'
Mark Thoma | Professor of Economics, University of Oregon

Maria Bartiromo: total Wall Street shill

Maria Bartiromo is nothing more than a Wall Street shill. Watch the clip as she defends Dimon and JP Morgan because it "makes money." Nothing else matters. Hey, Maria, the Mafia and drug pushers make money, too, so how 'bout we just let them pay a fine and not admit to any wrongdoing, like your good buddy, Dimon? What a suck up. CNBC is full of these apologists.

What is wrong with Comcast to allow this to go on even as their ratings plummet? Hard to figure.