Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business [Hardcover]

Mark Robichaux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2002

An inside look at a cable titan and his industry
John Malone, hailed as one of the great unsung heroes of our age by some and reviled by others as a ruthless robber baron, is revealed as a bit of both in Cable Cowboy. For more than twenty-five years, Malone has dominated the cable television industry, shaping the world of entertainment and communications, first with his cable company TCI and later with Liberty Media. Written with Malone's unprecedented cooperation, the engaging narrative brings this controversial capitalist and businessman to life. Cable Cowboy is at once a penetrating portrait of Malone's complex persona, and a captivating history of the cable TV industry. Told in a lively style with exclusive details, the book shows how an unassuming copper strand started as a backwoods antenna service and became the digital nervous system of the U.S., an evolution that gave U.S. consumers the fastest route to the Internet. Cable Cowboy reveals the forces that propelled this pioneer to such great heights, and captures the immovable conviction and quicksilver mind that have defined John Malone throughout his career.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1973, 29-year-old John Malone became the CEO of a debt-ridden Denver cable company, Tele-Communications, Incorporated; in 1998, he sold TCI for $48 billion. In the intervening 25 years he frenetically built a cable and media monopoly. Robichaux, an editor at the Wall Street Journal, pens an account that is part Horatio Alger success story and part cautionary tale of the abuses of unfettered capitalism (the latter a more timely narrative these days). Malone is a complicated hero; focused and driven, he built his empire largely through clever, complicated financing deals that sidestepped bank rules and taxes and enriched an inside group of shareholders. In the spirit of "charge as much as you can for a product...and spend as little as you can get away with," TCI, the author says, provided shoddy service to cable subscribers and bought out potential competitors to keep the cable industry an insular cartel. When local governments protested, Malone cut off service. Robichaux doesn't make much of it, but it's notable that junk bond financier Michael Milken and the former CEO of Global Crossing, Leo Hindery, appear in these pages as Malone's trusted friends. Although he cooperated with Robichaux for this book, Malone doesn't (as do minor characters like Ted Turner) spring to life from its pages. In this, once again, the reclusive Malone seems to have gotten things his way.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Robichaux, an editor of the Wall Street Journal's "Weekend" section, covered cable television for the paper from 1989 to 2001. Here he draws on interviews and published sources to produce a well-written account of John Malone. In the early 1970's, at the young age of 29, Malone took over a small cable company on the edge of bankruptcy known as Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCl), which he adeptly turned around and in 1998 sold to AT&T for $48 billion, making it the largest media merger in history. The author weaves an intricate tale of the cable industry and TCI as he reveals the brilliant deal-making strategies that built the largest cable company in the world. A typical strategy would be to swap stock, which defers recognition of profit on the deal whereby taxes would not have to be paid. Using these tactics, Malone acquired hundreds of companies and was viewed as a monopolist, creating a political backlash in Washington that caused him to be called Darth Vader, Genghis Khan, and the Godfather rolled into one. Readable and well researched, this work is unauthorized but was written with Malone's cooperation. Recommended for media collections in public libraries and those interested in the "art of the deal." —Bellinda Wise, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY (Library Journal, January 15, 2003)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047123639X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471236399
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Excellent coverage of John Malone", October 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business (Hardcover)

Malone is so pivotal a figure in telecommunications and cable that I'm surprised it took so long for anyone to tackle him. Robichaux has done an excellent job of getting inside the mind of one of the most compelling characters in American business. This one rates a 'must read!'

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A riveting tale of an important influential figure., November 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business (Hardcover)

Mark Robichaux delivered the inside story of one of the world's most influential and visionary business figures. His narrative takes readers from the wild, wild west to the hallowed halls of Wall Street and everywhere in between. This is a fabulous read that deconstructs the enigma of John Malone. 5 Stars!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book on John Malone, October 31, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business (Hardcover)

John Malone is a mogul, visionary, pioneer, and one of the most powerful and influential businessmen of our time. Cable Cowboy tells the definitive story of how Malone built a cable empire and in the process dramatically enhanced the communications and entertainment lives of people everywhere.

The author's narrative is riveting, bringing to the life the real-life cowboys who along with Malone built the cable industry one line at a time.