Cable

If you're a customer of Time Warner Cable, then you have probably noticed that you no longer get any of Mark Cuban's HDNet channels. The story being reported is that Mark Cuban was unhappy with the channels' spot on the HD Tier package that didn't get a lot of play and wanted more visibility. The debate allegedly went on too long and TWC pulled the plug all together.

Never fear. After the digital conversion in February, cable systems must carry the same over-the-air broadcast signals for all customers. This is a new ruling from the FCC, as a result from the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Competition is a good thing, right? Competition fueled the growth of cable and satellite services as each one tries to outdo the other. Unfortunately, at least one lucrative market is a virtual monopoly, and one competitor has been sitting back, getting fat, rich, and lazy.