# Did Charter Cable just diss Comcast? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 19, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133 "2016-05-19T00:43:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WPA-Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WPA-Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WPA-Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133/1 "2016-05-19T00:43:26Z")
Today the merger of Charter Cable, Time Warner Cable, and Brighthouse became final. The newly formed Charter Communications will market their product as Spectrum. Previously TWC was the prize that Comcast wanted, but they did not win that prize. Anyone from Philly remembers the Spectrum, an arena that was owned by a division of Comcast. Was Charter naming their service Spectrum a big HA HA to Comcast for losing TWC? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133/2 "2016-05-19T01:10:39Z")
Charter trademarked “Spectrum” in November 2013. Charter didn’t begin pursuing TWC until January 2014. Comcast didn’t get involved until February 2014. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133/3 "2016-05-19T18:06:27Z")
For me, my mind warps “Spectrum” into “SpectraVision”- the motel movie provider of old. While they showed a range of movies, it was a certain type that they became best known for and was used as fodder by comedians back when. Other Spectrums: The Geo/Chevy semi-car and the Sinclair color [version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum) of the ZX81. Yeah, baby. 8-bit. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133/4 "2016-05-19T18:25:31Z")
When I hear of Spectrum as a company, I think of this. [http://www.spectrummedicalgroup.com/](http://www.spectrummedicalgroup.com/) I wonder if these guys might have a trademark case against Charter. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133/5 "2016-05-19T18:48:34Z")
The first thing that I associate with spectrum is the electromagnetic one, and so it seems an apt name for a cable system. But what is it with cable companies and their need for a brand not the same as the company name? Comcast uses Xfinity. In the New York area, Cablevision uses Optimum. Charter is going to use Spectrum. What’s wrong with using the company name? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133/6 "2016-05-19T20:31:36Z")
Doubt it. Comcast has had [del]collusion[/del]a gentleman’s agreement not to interfere with TWC. Them getting together would just be formalizing it. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133/7 "2016-05-19T20:39:04Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Doubt it. Comcast has had [del]collusion[/del]a gentleman’s agreement not to interfere with TWC. > Them getting together would just be formalizing it. What about the anti-trust laws? This is the exact thing they were written to prevent. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-charter-cable-just-diss-comcast/755133/8 "2016-05-19T21:57:27Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Doubt it. Comcast has had [del]collusion[/del]a gentleman’s agreement not to interfere with TWC. > Them getting together would just be formalizing it. > [@boffking](#): > > What about the anti-trust laws? This is the exact thing they were written to prevent. Comcast is the largest cable company in the U.S. Anything they do in one direction or another is going to trigger an antitrust investigation.