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Market Model Patterns of Change

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Market Model Patterns of Change
Student
Strayer University
ECO 550: Managerial Economics and Globalization
Dr. Professor
June 2, 2013

Market Model Patterns of Change
Comcast Corporation is one of the world’s leading media, entertainment, and communications companies. It is principally involved in operating cable systems through Comcast Cable and is the nation’s largest pay-tv provider to residential and business customers with more than 22 million subscribers. Comcast Corporation is the majority owner and manager of NBC Universal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks. Though they now work collaboratively with other industries to provide their products and services, this was not always the case. In the past, they were able to enjoy a monopolistic business model in the areas they served because they were the only game in town. . Characteristics of monopoly structure are: profit maximization since there is only one firm that determines the price in the market; only a single seller exists which implies that the market is controlled by one firm; and the firm is the same as the industry.
Cable television was not so well received when it was offered to the public for the first time in 1948. Initially it was called Community Antenna TV or CATV and was used merely to enhance television reception in mountainous areas. John Walson, an appliance store owner from Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, had difficulty selling television sets to local residents because reception was so poor. Unfortunately, the town was located in a valley almost 90 air miles from Philadelphia television transmitters (History, 2013). To solve his problem he placed an antenna on top of a nearby mountain. Not only did reception improve, but television sales grew. Walson continued to work on improving picture quality by using coaxial cable and self-made amplifiers, thus bringing CATV to each home (History of Cable, 2013). Cable television was born.
By 1952, there were 70 CATV systems set up across the country and they served approximately 14,000 subscribers. Once the range of reception was increased, more channels could be offered and cable television became even more attractive. Ten years later there were close to 800 cable systems and more than 800,000 subscribers which motivated investments from large corporations like Westinghouse and Cox. Local television stations were feeling the pressure and decided to complain to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). The FCC responded by placing restrictions on cable operators’ ability to receive distant signals and the growth of the industry came to a screeching halt. The introduction of pay television in the 70’s and the Cable Act of 1984, allowed the industry to operate more freely and put an end to their growth struggles. Another attempt to slow industry growth was launched in the 90’s by new government legislation, but to no avail (History of Cable, 2013).
After implementing new wiring projects across the country, developing broadband networks, and introducing digital cable, high definition cable, and video on demand access, cable television has become an extremely important part of many households. Currently approximately 60% of households in the U. S. subscribe to cable television with the majority coming from middle-class households. Comcast alone serves over 6 million customers and has over 22,000 employees (Our Story, 2013). The market has undergone a complete evolution over the years and looks very different from when Comcast was the new kid on the block. With the entry of competitors such as Verizon Fios TV and DIRECTV, their monopolistic market no longer exists. As a result, they were forced to expand their product offerings and to enter other markets.
Like any other business, the main goal of Comcast Corporation is to increase profit share thus increasing profits. As the only supplier in a monopolistic market, the price Comcast expected to receive for its initial output would not remain constant as their output increased. Thus, their short run behavior would be based on the need to minimize production costs and maximize market penetration. As such they would initially lease a central location in which the equipment needed to provide cable television for the service area could be housed. They would also start with a technology database that is expandable in preparation for growth through innovation and would need to be able to adjust the labor numbers as demand increases. In the long run, as the market changes and new firms begin to enter, Comcast could increase the number of service areas, thus increasing the number of buildings they purchase for operations. They could also increase equipment, output, and labor.
The major factors that affect the degree of competitiveness for Comcast Corporation in the cable television industry are operation costs, innovation, market prices, and competition. Productivity enhancements would come from supply chain and logistics improvements, continued technological advancements, and consistently increased skill levels within the labor force. Efficient management of the flow of resources is vital to the effort to minimize operational costs and increase profitability. For Comcast, these resources include, but are not limited to, transportation, inventory, and security of information systems. Where technology is concerned, the industry needs to get re-energized and embrace the current innovative digital wave. Their stale image has caused subscriber numbers to dwindle as younger audiences turn to online streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon. Increased skill levels within the labor force in the areas of technological advancements and information security will also enhance productivity.
Verizon Fios TV and DIRECTV are two intense competitors of Comcast Cable. Recently, Verizon Fios TV announced a plan to only offer channels customers want to watch (Wall Street Journal). The Wall Street Journal reports that Verizon is seeking partnerships with several midtier and smaller media companies about paying for channels based on the number os subscribers that actually watch them rather than a set rate. This strategy will allow them to offer a larger number of smaller and independent channels. Although prices could increase due to consumer demand, they expect the plan to eventually stabilize retail prices.
DIRECTV takes television straight to the masses. They operate the largest direct-to-home (DTH) digital TV service in the U.Ss, ahead of #2 DISH Network, and in direct competition with Comcast (#1 overall in the pay-TV market). According to the DIRECTV website, in 2013 the programming costs they pay to owners of television channels will increase by about 8.0%, but they have chosen to adjust the prices their customers pay by an average of only 4.5% (Will my bill, 2013). They state that by holding firm, they consistently manage to hold their annual price increases below those of cable competitors.The pricing strategy information gathered from both competitors provides Comcast with approaches that are so different that they allow a lot of room for creativity in their pricing decisions.
Comcast currently charges their customers the maximum amount they can without losing their business. This is accomplished by gradually raising prices until their customers complain. Setting prices in proportion to customers’ willingness to pay is a form of price discrimination and is considered to be economically efficient. Contrarily, when customers have to endure the stress of negotiating bill reductions, discontent with the company continually increases and the potential for losing them to competitors increases substantially. I recommend Comcast develop a fair and transparent pricing strategy such as mixed bundling and cease the practice of unannounced rate increases and charging hidden fees.

References

Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania (2013), History of cable television. Retrieved
May 31, 2013 from http://www.bcapa.com/about/history.php
Hoot, Fred (2013) The history of cable TV. Retrieved May 31, 2013 from http://www.broadbandexpert.com/guides/internet-advice/history-of-cable/ Comcast Business: About Us (2013), Retrieved June 1, 2013 from http://business.comcast.com/smb/about Graziano, Dan (2013). Verizon’s plan to shake up the TV industry.. Retrieved June 2, 2013 from http://bgr.com/2013/03/18/verizon-fios-tv-channels-pay-383627/ Will my cost for DIRECTV service go up in 2013? (2013). Retrieved June 2, 2013 from
http://support.directv.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2613/~/new-rates-for-directv-service

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