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“The World Company is complimented that a number of companies have expressed interest in its Sunflower division over the years. This continues today. There is no definitive agreement concerning Sunflower with any company at this time.” — Dolph C. Simons Jr., Chairman, The World Company
Those words were reported Wednesday in a brief story published by the Lawrence Journal-World is response to an article published by cable trade magazine Multichannel News that Sunflower Broadband was close to a sale to Knology.
The denial of a definitive agreement does not mean the company isn’t close to reaching one, which was the original claim in the article written by Mike Farrell.
The non-denial denial didn’t dampen excitement by several Sunflower Broadband customers who were delighted to learn of the potential ownership change for the usage-capping broadband provider.
Some have stayed with AT&T’s DSL service just to escape Sunflower’s pricing, which one reader called “insane.”
Another claims AT&T’s upgrades have helped improve broadband service: “AT&T service has improved greatly…not to mention the price blows Sunflower away. Though AT&T will not tell you that you don’t have to have their modems. Go to Best Buy and get a third party modem.”
However, the broader implications of a sale of the cable company are worrying some Lawrence residents pondering the future of the hometown newspaper, the aforementioned Journal-World. Sunflower Broadband and the LJW share a common owner — The World Company. While the cable industry remains very profitable, many newspapers are not.
Phil Cauthon added his views to the Lawrence Broadband Observer on the topic:
I can’t see how this is anything but ominous for the Journal-World. Sunflower has a been a boon to the otherwise sinking newspaper ship. Unless some of the money from this sale is set aside as a foundation to support the newspaper over the long term, I don’t see how the Journal-World survives post-Knology sale. That Dolph Simons is still alive during a sale bodes well for that kind of prospect. Otherwise, I hope the Kansas City Star sees fit to serve Lawrence as a primary market—maybe even purchasing the LJW—with more than just a page or two of “metro” coverage.
Other stories of interest:
- Notorious Usage-Capping Sunflower Broadband Close to Sale to Knology; Caps Could Be History
- Sunflower Broadband Boosts Usage Allowances As AT&T U-verse Wins Customers
- AT&T Will Take Your Questions On Broadband Issues
- Internet in the Heartland: Continuing Broadband Adventures in Lawrence, Kansas
- Caps Are Coming, Says American Cable Association – But Look Who Is Saying It!
