CTAMers Give Comcast an Edge
By MONICA HOGAN -- Multichannel News, 7/30/2001
San Francisco— The consensus among executives at last week's Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing Summit here was that Comcast Corp. would prevail in a fight for AT&T Broadband — especially considering it's the only company with a formal offer on the table.
But more than one programmer expressed concern over the concentrated power a combined Comcast-AT&T Broadband would have in contract negotiations with cable networks.
"From a programmer's standpoint, we've seen enough consolidation for a while," A&E Networks general manager Daniel Davids said during a CTAM 25th anniversary lunch last Tuesday.
AMC Networks president Kate McEnroe echoed those sentiments at the Summit's closing brunch Wednesday.
"God help us if Brian [Roberts] gets it," McEnroe said.
Insight Communications Co. CEO Michael Willner put the matter into perspective for CTAM Summit attendees.
"The American consumer could care less," Willner said. "They don't care who owns any of us."
Perhaps to help ease the stress that must come from all the speculation surrounding his own company's merger plans, DirecTV Global Digital Media Inc. president Larry Chapman joked that Ford Motor Co. would buy AT&T Broadband. News Corp. is negotiating to buy DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics Corp. from General Motors Corp.
"I'd probably put my money on Comcast," Chapman added.
