Rich Fiscus
30 May 2008 3:19
Comcast, the largest cable television provider in the US, is looking to get a little bit smaller. The company is hoping to sell 46 cable systems in Maine, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Virginia, Georgia, West Virginia and California. The reason for the move is reportedly because they're geographically distant from the majority of the cable giant's operations.
In Maine, where nearly a quarter of the systems slated to be sold are located, the most logical buyer would be Time Warner Cable, which already serves 85% of the state. So far Time Warner has had no comment on the matter. The 11 systems were purchased in 2006 when Comcast bought Maine-based Susquehanna Communications.
John Goran, chairman of the cable TV regulatory board in Freeport, Maine hopes that the new owners, whoever they may be, will expand the services being offered. "We don't have Internet phone, no video on demand or any of those advanced services," he said. "We have standard cable and high-definition and premium channels and that's it."