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To: ahhaha who wrote (22687)	5/27/2000 10:37:00 AM
From: gpowell	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

Define: network distribution service provider (NDSP) and carrier.

To: ahhaha who wrote (22687)	5/27/2000 3:24:00 PM
From: gpowell	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

All my remarks refer to the cable market only. If the TWX-AOL merger goes through and AOL renames RR, AOL BB, then there will be competition at the network level. What is the incentive for an MSOs who owns ATHM to use AOLBB as their NDSP? Sure, the MSOs who don't own ATHM might switch, but that won't significantly change either NDSP, i.e. does it matter if ATHM has 60% vs 50% of the NDSP market? Sweeping up the last crumbs isn't competition. We are left with a situation whereby each MSO owns the NDSP they use, with a few insignificant exceptions. I would not expect to see any other NDSPs emerge that serve this market. You'd have to say the decree guarantees the merger will be blocked. That would be anti-competitive. Hmmm, AT&T was blocked from owning the only two cable NDSP's. That clearly would be anti-competitive to the cable industry. I don't know what you mean by "monopoly capital". According to definition a business monopoly has little or no competition. Baran and Sweezy's "Monopoly Capital" 1966. The propensity of competitive businesses to cooperate at some level to maximize the profits of the group. What competition there is tends to be at the brand level.