US cable musters forces to meet upheaval

For years, cable operators have been at the heart of how television is financed, distributed and viewed in the US. But with new competitors rising and rapid technology changes upending the business, the industry is entering a period of upheaval and possible consolidation.

Speculation is rife about consolidation that involves some combination of Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter or Cox -- the four biggest cable companies in the US by subscribers. The rationale for consolidation is clear. Geographically divided, no one cable operator has national dominance. This has kept cable operators from competing with one another in the past but they are now fending off new rivals. One issue is cord cutting, where people cancel pay-television subscriptions and turn to cheaper online streaming alternatives such as Netflix and Hulu that can appear -- just like traditional programming -- on Internet-connected televisions. Even those who are not cutting the cord are choosing TV services provided by satellite or telecoms operators instead.