May 10, 2007

They Said It ...

By Jim Barthold

Here's a sampling of some of the more outrageous - or just plain fun - things that were said during panel sessions and other public gatherings at this week's Cable Show.

• "DSL was created by a dyslexic engineer. You spell it backward and look what you've got." - Steve Craddock, senior vice president of new media strategy, Comcast.

• "They need to catch up, and they need to catch up as fast as possible because cable is killing them." - Greenfield, WI, Mayor Michael Neitze speaking why telephone companies need statewide franchising.

• "I don't think there's anything as slow as the federal government." - Brian O'Hara, legislative director, NARUC (National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners).

• "It's actually a pleasure to be here; actually, it's a little more - it's a surprise." - FCC Chairman Kevin Martin during his first-day keynote address.

• "We call it voice. We don't even want to be associated with that product." - Cablevision Systems COO Tom Rutledge, referring to the dread "p" for phone word.

• "We've got to get better at delivering service. At least for Comcast, that's going to be a big initiative." - Comcast COO Steve Burke.

• "We still have differences of opinion." - NCTA President-CEO Kyle McSlarrow, responding to Martin's keynote.

• "You don't want to be the Beatles, you want to be the (Rolling) Stones in this industry." - Coleman Breland, executive VP, sales and marketing, Turner Network Sales, comparing MSOs and programmers to rock band members who have had phenomenal success and are now having artistic differences. The Beatles, despite their success, broke up. The Stones, despite their sometimes mediocre music, continue to play for new generations of fans.

• "Sure, it's better to get some scale economics." - Comcast Chairman-CEO Brian Roberts, trying to explain how small cable operators who "invested in your plant in your community" are operating on nearly equal footing with behemoths like Comcast and Time Warner Cable.

• "They are the Custers of this modern battle; we are the Sioux Nation," said Time Warner Chairman Ed Parsons, describing the difference between online startups using content from big media conglomerates like Time Warner without permission. "If they go to war, they lose."

• "It's all about relationships. People buy from people they know and people they trust." - Leo Brennan, regional vice president and general manager, Cox Communications-Las Vegas.

- Jim Barthold