said by TK Junk Mail :

»www.latimes.com/news/opinion/edi···itorials

Critics of the Adelphia deal complained that letting cable operators consolidate their hold over local markets would make it harder for competitors to enter those markets. They also warned that local regulators would have a tougher time protecting against abuses because they wouldn't be able to compare the local franchise with those of nearby communities.

Such complaints, however, overlook what's happened to the communications market over the last decade. With rare exceptions, cable operators haven't competed against each other. Instead, they've battled other providers, including satellite operators and, soon, telephone companies (which will be driven to compete in the cable market, whether consolidated or fragmented, by the cable operators' entry into phone service).