Small cable companies worried about Comcast-NBC deal

What does Comcast's proposed marriage with NBC Universal mean for small cable companies? "Nothing good," said Matthew Polka, president and CEO of the American Cable Association. Polka said the merger will consolidate major programming assets, presenting "a serious threat to the financial stability of smaller operators." ACA represents about 900 small operators, some of which provide services to only a few hundred customers. Its members provide television, phone and Internet services, often in areas not served big firms like Comcast, Time Warner Cable or Cablevision. They don't have ties to content companies such as Disney, so they have to negotiate with the larger content providers access to cable programming, Polka said.