Promises, Promises Cable hasn't delivered on its hype DECEMBER, 1992 John Malone makes his now-famous 500-channels speech, setting off a frenzy of excitement and industry dealmaking to prepare for the converging world of video, data, and voice. OCTOBER, 1993 TCI agrees to be bought by Bell Atlantic for $35 a share. Malone calls the deal ``a godsend.'' The idea: Create a telecom giant to offer groundbreaking new services. FEBRUARY, 1994 The deal falls apart after TCI is forced by regulators to roll back rates and Bell Atlantic CEO Ray Smith becomes convinced that TCI's systems are in sorry shape and need costly upgrades. DECEMBER, 1994 Time Warner unveils its interactive Full Service Network in Orlando in the first step of what was then a promised $5 billion rollout of interactive TV. Since then, FSN rollout plans have been tabled. JANUARY, 1995 Time Warner launches a test of phone service in Rochester, N.Y. To date, it has an estimated 500 customers and has not yet launched telephone service commercially in other markets. Return to main story

Updated June 14, 1997 by bwwebmaster
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