Cox Cable plays defense and offense: while holding off satellite TV, Cox communications has taken the lead in telephony and high-speed data.(Dynamic 12 Cox Communications and Cox Television)

Broadcasting & Cable, February, 2004 by Higgins, John M.

Satellite TV has been feasting on cable. Across the country, it has grabbed 25% of the multichannel-TV business. In some markets, notably Atlanta and Dallas, its share is climbing toward 50%.

But not in San Diego. Cox Communications' system there has long been one of the MSO's showcase operations, a property long emphasizing customer service, investing in its plant and aggressively adding new products. In San Diego, DirecTV and EchoStar count just 7% of the market.

"I take DirecTV and what they do very seriously," says Bill Geppert, general manager of Cox's San Diego system. "I don't like to lose one customer. I'm saddened to see the [DBS] penetrations at other systems."

Is San Diego a special case for Cox? Nope. DBS penetration in...

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