• Broadcasting & Cable, Tuesday, March 21, 2006 11:15 AM

Broadcasting & Cable reporter John Eggerton, in attendance at the Cable Television Public Affairs Association's forum in Washington, DC, reports that cable-TV executives seem confident of their ability to snag customers for phone service. Moreover, they say that, going forward, they will be more successful at stealing phone customers from telcos than telcos will be in their effort to steal cable customers for video. One cable exec even went to far as to suggest telcos simply can't compete in this arena because marketing isn't in their DNA. "Verizon spokeswoman Sharon Cohen-Hagar begged to differ. 'It think that's a really ridiculous thing to say, she commented during a break from the TelecomNext show in Las Vegas, where the phone companies are talking telco video strategy. 'Our marketing is paying off. We have a very localized marketing strategy that we're seeing the dividends of.'" As for the looming merger of AT&T and BellSouth and all that might portend for the telco's ability to offer a triple--and possible even a quadruple--bundle of services, observers noted that the closure on the deal is likely 12 to 18 months away, giving cable competitors lots more time to lure subs to their packages.

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