I think that the only reason they are "returning to profitability" is that they no longer give us the service we originally signed up for.

Instead they are going for the cheapest options (as Sickened said above). No Premier League football in the sports package, more and more Spanish language channels, many channels now only available through "bundles", and a whole heap of useless channels that I'm sure nobody watches. I don't recall ever hearing Cable Bahamas asking what WE want to watch - rather, they just get what they can on the cheap, just so they can say they offer a full line up.

I'm seriously considering just cutting the cable once and for all, and going for streaming sites - it's been literally years since I subscribed to HBO, Showtime and the like, because I can watch films I want within a few mouse clicks.

Quote - Franklyn Butler told Tribune Business that the “fantastic deal” involving Summit Broadband will “unlock real value” for Cable Bahamas shareholders

I guess this is good news for the shareholders, but what about us, the paying customers? I doubt we will see an improvement in the channel packages offered, as more and more Spanish language programs infest the airwaves, sports like the Premier League are mysteriously cut off, channel times are all haywire, the guide does not correspond to what is being shown etc etc.

At current rates, the $100 million "profit" will probably go in dividends, or will just about cover 3 or 4 years of CB's current losses, whilst we will have to put up with an ever-declining service until we just say No.

Anyone else now playing BPL Bingo?

Guessing when you dare to cook a meal, or do laundry, or cool down after a hard day's work....wondering if this is the hour of day or night when your unlucky number comes up and you are pitched into darkness and 100+ degree temperature.

To say nothing of wondering when your fridge, tv, computer or light fixtures will be fried, causing yet more financial hardship.

I noticed that Mr Parker didn't say **which** Christmas - very sneaky

Mr Davis has a world renown expert on spending travel expenses to advise him on this matter - so, what does Fred Mitchell have to say?

It sounds like someone has been copying and pasting old documents without bothering to keep up with, or read, more current documents. Typical, unfortunately, of the Bahamian Governments past and present.

But surely the dishonest officers would (being dishonest) claim that they are honest?

I would rather they knock $3.5 mio off the selling price. I say this because the purchaser will doubtless have a better grasp of the true costs of "face lifting" than our historically incompetent governments. Also, the new owner will be forced into accepting government contracted work and may even have to rip out the work (of course done by cronies and sweethearts of the ministry) if it is not to their liking or standards.

It will once again be our money down the drain either way (sale price reduction, or money spent on repairs). At this moment in time, all I can do is shake my head and wonder where it will all end.

Colour me confused....if, as the Mad Doc says, every household has a solar panel and generates an excess of electricity then sells the surplus back to the power company......who exactly is left to use all this power? Certainly not any private individuals - they have more than enough for their needs. So we are left with businesses......who surely would demand a reduction in the cost of their supply, as BEC / FPL is basically getting their own juice from we taxpayers. This, of course, means that businesses will be excluded from the scheme, as they and government offices are the only end-of-the-line users left. Which is absurd, because surely the proposal discriminates against businesses having solar panels on their (large) rooftops just like the rest of us. Is Doc a reincarnation of Oprah? YOU get free electricity....YOU get free electricity......YOU get free electricity.

But there's more......."The rich can use it as a form of investment and replace the power station." qouth the Doc, really getting the bit between his teeth. Let's do away with the power company and we can all use each other's solar power. Then who makes sure that the electricity stays on, that the lines are maintained, that bunkers are filled when demand exceeds supply etc etc etc

My head hurts just thinking about the economics of this. Once again the people in "power" issue nonsensical utterances without apparently thinking them through.

I sometimes think that the Tribune and the government of the day both allow these nonsense utterances to be published, just so that we "normal" folk can let them know how ridiculous they sound. I, for one, only get to hear about the inefficiencies and preposterous pension arrangements via articles such as this. And yet.........

On the one hand, the Tribune never editorialises the issue, preferring to just report verbatim what has been said by the latest jackass to hold a position of responsibility, while the Government must not have any proof readers or editors of its own before such nonsense is broadcast for us all to see and hear.

Whether it be Mr Miller some years back telling us that BEC is in crisis; Mr. Christie saying that VAT would be used to pay down the debt; now Mr Newbold saying that "government employee pensions cannot be changed"

Why do these people hold positions of influence if (a) they cannot see how ridiculous their ideas and statements sound and (b) why do they not include in the pronouncements what will be done to change the situation?

It is often as if they put this out into the public domain in the hope that the feedback they get will be the deciding factor in what will happen.

As an example here -

Mr Newbold finds that his comments get everyone into a mouth-frothing rage in the Tribune comments section, Facebook, Twitter etc?......well guys, I guess we should think about what can be done about triple-locked pensions.

Mr Newbold finds that his comments don't have any feedback?....well guys, I guess we're safe not to do anything (and my own pension looks safe for now)

I cannot believe the naivete and lack of forethought put into such pronouncements!!! So what if 20,000 of the most inefficient workers in the nation have a guaranteed pension.....there's nothing we (the Government) can do about it. Really??? To my mind, you are the ONLY ones who can do something about it, and it's high time you did