Liberty Media's John Malone Touts Charter Stake, Cable Power

Liberty Media chairman John Malone lauded the cable industry's strength in broadband subscriptions and hinted at the possible introduction of cable broadband usage tiers, which would affect Netflix. Plus, he also commented on Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen's latest deals and his "kamikaze" approach to business.

Asked about Netflix, Malone said it "has done a wonderful job" of showing people's appetite for content from nontraditional providers. But he also predicted that in the future, cable operators could offer "various tiers of connectivity," possibly with built-in video offerings or bundles. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will in that scenario have to keep in mind some of the cost of broadband capacity "that he is burning," Malone said.