"Art Todesco" wrote
I don't know all the particulars, but what if the subscribers buy out the
cable company and make it a co-op. There are many small co-op cable
companies in the country ... there used to be even a lot more,

I don't think it is that easy. The cable company I had for 25 years sold
out to a bigger one because they could no longer compete technologically We
became a MetroCast subscriber be default. After a few years, I ditched them
for DirecTv because even after an upgrade (and higher prices) they could not
offer the HD cannels I wanted.