Cable service is really shot in Jackson County, Ohio; Worst Company in America contest heats up

> Time Warner Cable operators weren't making up a tale when they told irate Jackson County, Ohio that their cable service is shot. An outage that lasted about 15 hours happened when two gunshots damaged the MSO's fiber optic lines. Police have a culprit in custody. Story.

> Comcast Chairman-CEO Brian Roberts will hopefully give diners something to chew on during a "newsmaker brunch" at the NCTA Show in Los Angeles May 11. The event is billed as a "one on one conversation" with the Comcast boss and, in keeping with Comcast's new profile as a hip Hollywood insider, is co-sponsored by the Hollywood Radio & Television Society. Story.

> One thing Roberts is unlikely to discuss during his chowdown session is how it is that Comcast has reached the Elite Eight of the Consumerist's "Worst Company in America 2010" competition. Having blown United Airlines out of the competition, Comcast next faces Apple. The other cable contender still in play, Time Warner Cable, is going up against a really tough foe: Bank of America. The remaining competitors for the dubious honor are Ticketmaster, Anthem (an insurance company), PayPal and Cash For Gold. Story.

> CTIA President Steve Largent, weary of listening to broadcasters complain about losing their spectrum to wireless, has written a letter supporting the FCC's decision to grab 120 MHz more of broadcast spectrum and calling broadcaster complaints "unfounded concerns" that ignore "the realities of today's market and consumer demand." Story.

> Finally, in an instance that proves it's never too early to fail--or predict failure--a CEPro article by Brian Mitchell, founder and CEO of eCoustics, lists 10 reasons why consumers might not buy into a 3D experience at home. Our favorite: Glasses, where Mitchell sagely asks, "Are you eager to wear geeky 3D glasses and sit silently in front of a TV in a darkened room every night?" Story.