> ...is that decades of not giving a crap about providing quality customer service,
I'D DISPUTE THAT STATEMENT. CUSTOMER FOCUS IS JOB #1 FOR SOME OF THE MSO'S. I SPEAK FROM FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE
a disgustingly inbred good 'ol boy and girl management structure,
THOSE TIMES ARE CHANGING TOO THOUGH NOT FAST ENOUGH
the arrogancy of monopoly, a continually shortsighted capital budgeting process,
I'VE BEEN IN A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR 12 YEARS NOW. WE'RE CONSTANTLY CHANGING TO MEET THE DEMANDS. NOW, ON CAPITAL BUDGETING, IF YOU HAD ANY IDEA (AND BY YOUR RANTING I'D SAY NO) OF HOW THE BUDGETING PROCESS WORKS YOU'D KNOW THAT THE ROLLED UP CAPITAL DEMANDS ARE SHARED IN PORPORTION TO THE REVENUE STREAMS, MARGINS, AND EBITDA. THEN YOU'VE GOT THE SHAREHOLDER'S PERCEPTION THAT HAS TO BE ENTERTAINED. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL "FREE-CASH FLOW" RESUMES
avarice and outright corruption at the system on up through corporate levels, and a few other egotistic lunacies have produced an inherently weak infrastructure in all of the major MSOs.
THAT'S A PRETTY STRONG ASSERTION! I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU HAVE FACTUAL INFORMATION TO BACK UP THOSE STATEMENTS. I WOULD SAY THAT MORE INFLUENCE IS AROUND THE CORPORATE FOLKS THESE DAYS DUE TO THE STRESSES AND DEMANDS INHERENT ON NEW REVENUE STREAM ROLL-OUTS, MATERIALS COST REDUCTIONS, AND AN INCREASE OF FISCAL AND OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. THESE MARGINS THAT ARE GENERATED ARE TIGHTER AND TIGHER EACH YEAR DIRECTLY PROPPORTION TO SHARE HOLDER COMFIDENCE.
The solution to sinking stock prices is definitely NOT in even further demoralizing, and therefore demotivating, both in-house and contract labor resources by slashing compensation. The cure for this particular corporate ailment requires taking whatever painful steps may be necessary to begin conducting their operations as adult professionals.
IN SOME CIRCLES THEY ARE BEING DECIDED UPON BY ADULTS AND THEY ARE CONSCIENCE AND MARKET DRIVEN. COMMON NOW, YOU'RE A CONSULTANT. YOU CERTAINLY KNOW OF THESE THINGS.
This could very well mean that large numbers of middle and upper level managers need to be retrained or released.
NO ARGUMENT THERE. MANY SENIOR LEVEL MANAGERS ARE PRODUCTS FROM THE JURASSIAC ERA AND NEED TO BE CONVERTED INTO FOSSELL FUEL THAT THEY ARE. THE MIDDLE MANAGERS NEED NEW TYPES OF CULTIVATED LEADERSHIP. EMPOWERMENT & ACCOUNTIBILITY & COMMUNICATIONS ARE THE ESSENCE TO GOOD LEADERSHIP AND SUCCESS STORIES.
Since self-preservation is such a powerful human trait, this will not occur unless stockholders first become aware and then eventually demand such changes.
YOU'LL ONLY GET THAT WITH A MAJORITY OF VOTING POWER!
If you want to make a difference consider joining a couple of stock investor chat groups and start telling your stories, perhaps provide them with the Cabl.com link so that they can verify this woeful situation firsthand.
TALK ABOUT SELF ABSORBTION. THAT'S THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO. I'VE TALKED IN FRONT OF WALL STREET ANALYSTS BEFORE. THEIR LOYALTIES ARE TO THEIR NEXT PAY-CHECK. IT'S BEEN A FEEDING FRENZY OUT THERE THESE PAST THREE MONTHS PLUS ORIGINATING FROM THE ENRON FIASCO. LOOK AT CHARTER, COMCAST, CABLEVISION, COX ET AL., THEY ALL GOT HIT HARD BECAUSE OF EDITED COMMUNICATIONS FROM THOSE WALL STREET WANNABEES WHO'D PREFER TO CAPITALIZE ON THE JUNK BOND MARKET.
AND YOU WANT TO SHARE THIS LIST'S LINK WITH THEM? THERE'S MORE WINE AND CHEESE HERE THEN IN WISCONSIN...NO DIS MENT FOR MY BRETHREN OUT THERE. IT IS GOOD THOUGH TO VENT AND SHARE WAR STORIES.
It might initially hurt the stock prices but if they see the light and begin to ask for heads on pikes then things can change for the better.
NOT BEFORE THOSE LIZARD BOSSES SET-UP THEIR MIDDLE MANAGERS TO TAKE THE FALL. AND BY THAT TIME SAY GOODBYE TO THE MSO'S BOND RATINGS. ONCE THAT TAKES A DIVE SAY GOODBYE TO AFFORDABLE LOANS, SAY GOODBYE TO THOSE REBUILDS AND UPGRADES, SAY GOODBYE TO THOSE DIGITAL INSTALLS, SAY GOODBYE TO THOSE CMODEM INSTALLS, SAY GOODBYE TO THE CONTRACT SWEEP PROGRAMS, SAY GOODBYE TO THE CONTRACTED SYSTEM AUDITS. IF THE MSO'S CAN'T GET THE MONEY, THEY CAN'T GROW. IF THEY CAN'T GROW THEY GET STAGNATE AND HAVE TO SELL. THE ONLY WAY AN MSO REALLY AND TRULY MAKES ANY MONEY IS WHEN THEY SELL THEIR SYSTEMS. BY CONTINUOUSLY UPGRADING AND DUMPING THOSE DOLLARS INTO THEIR SYSTEM UPGRADES THEY INCREASE THEIR UNIT VALUATION AS IT RELATES TO REVENUE DRAWN PER HOUSEHOLD.
In the event of any type of stockholder awakening and revoution the good managers will be fine and, in fact, may actually finally receive the recognition which is their rightful reward.
YEAH, YA THINK?
The idiots, crooks and spineless lackies will just have to find some other rock to crawl to and hide under.
I AGREE WITH YOU THERE!
SO, WHAT CONSULTING FIRM TO YOU WORK FOR OR REPRESENT? I'D JUST LOVE TO KNOW FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION..........THEN WE'LL HAVE A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION.
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> > You're wrong about the profits keeping the stockholders happy. Check out any MSO's stock chart over the last year and you'll find they are all in the crapper. The stockholders are definetly NOT HAPPY. The fact is they've all been spending loads on these upgrades, hoping the public will buy the advanced services that the upgrades make possible. Well, the public hasn't jumped for the product like they had hoped, and now the money is running low. You may not see it, but the MSO's are having it pretty rough, too.
