skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

UW Expert: Huge Telecom Merger Will Cost Hundreds of Wisconsin Jobs

play audio
Play

Wednesday, June 3, 2015   

MADISON, Wis. - In a deal which would affect millions of Wisconsinites and one in every six American households, Charter Communications is proposing an acquisition of Time-Warner Cable. According to nationally recognized telecommunications expert Barry Orton, this is bad news for consumers.

While the companies involved say it will mean rates will be lower, Orton said that has never happened, and in fact the additional debt taken on by the new company probably will cause cable TV rates to rise even faster.

Orton, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor, said there will have to be downsizing, too.

"Time-Warner has a very big customer service center, a phone center in Appleton, and a smaller one in Milwaukee, and Charter has a very big one in Fond du Lac and a smaller one in Madison," he said. "They're not going to need all four of those going forward."

Orton said the two companies involved have very poor ratings for customer satisfaction. Charter has promised that customers will get better broadband service if the acquisition goes forward.

The combined companies probably would shed hundreds of jobs in Wisconsin, Orton said, in addition to closing at least two regional facilities.

"Similarly, they don't need two state directors, they don't need two heads of marketing, they don't need two accounting staffs, they don't need all that kind of middle-management stuff duplicated twice in one state," he said. "So there'll be significant - I would say in the hundreds of - job losses."

Several months ago, the Federal Communications Commission blocked Comcast's bid to buy out Time-Warner. Orton said he is not sure this deal between Charter and Time-Warner will go through, but added that it probably will happen.

"Right now the Obama administration has nothing to lose by acting strong on some things," he said, "and so it's a possibility that it's turned down. I think it should be turned down. I think the odds are probably 60-40 that it isn't."


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021