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Cablevision Customers Lose WABC, Then Get it Back


Vlad

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

Nice to see some solidarity from some of the stations. I'd run it, too. WCBS, and WNBC: I'm looking at you. Perhaps an even better strategy would have been for them all to demand the retrans fees at the same time. That probably would force Cablevision to pay up.

 

WABC is also using Twitter to get support: http://twitter.com/SaveABC7 They started following me this morning. I think WABC is in the right here.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

My family dumped Cablevision over the summer and are very satisfied with FiOS. The TV picture seems about the same, the internet seems to be as fast and the phone is as clear but we're paying a little bit less and getting more channels. (I'm a fan of the additional ESPNs and CNN International.) I also like the menus... they're much cleaner and respond a lot quicker. We definitely feel like we upgraded and enjoy the savings.

 

Not sure why you'd think you'd lose phone numbers and returning the boxes was as simple as dropping them off at the Optimum Store. No questions asked. (Though Cablevision has harrassed us since then... They've sent letters in the mail and called us several times asking us to switch back. Then they event sent what I call the Cablevision Police, two big guys with an intimidating attitude asking why we switched and offering to buy us out of our FiOS contract. And about two weeks ago, we got a call from Cablevision confirming our order for cable, internet and phone... We didn't order that.)

 

I'd highly recommend you reconsider switching.

 

I second that, I don't know why Vlad thinks the internet is worse...last time I checked 25MB/25MB isn't slow. I switched from TWC in 2008, and I'm certainly glad I did. The software on the STBs could be a bit zippier, but they offer good features such as live traffic cameras, weather, AP, Facebook, Twitter and other unique widgets. The news channels are great also...IIRC Fios is the only cable company with BBC World News, the world's most watched news channel.

 

Anyway, I still think WABC is in the wrong on this,

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

The fact is, cable companies have started charging consumers a fee for rebroadcasting channels that are already free over the air. Unlike cable channels, who get paid by cable companies in addition to receiving advertising revenue, the broadcast stations never thought to ask for transmission fees and now they just want their piece of the pie.

 

If I ran a company and produced a product and another company took that product, charged for it, and never gave me a portion of the profit, I would feel ripped off. Wouldn't you?

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

I second that, I don't know why Vlad thinks the internet is worse...last time I checked 25MB/25MB isn't slow. I switched from TWC in 2008, and I'm certainly glad I did. The software on the STBs could be a bit zippier, but they offer good features such as live traffic cameras, weather, AP, Facebook, Twitter and other unique widgets. The news channels are great also...IIRC Fios is the only cable company with BBC World News, the world's most watched news channel.

 

Anyway, I still think WABC is in the wrong on this,

 

Yes, now that I think about it and I understand the situation a little bit more, I think maybe WABC is somewhat wrong on this. I say somewhat because if they are not being fully compensated, than that is wrong. However, if they are refusing to accept the same ammount of money that other stations get, than I think they are being a little greedy. Come Sunday, if a deal isn't hammered out, I think this will mainly hurt WABC's news operation. In this digital age of high-tech internet and apps on iPhones and iPod Touches, people will still be able to watch clips from Eyewitness News, as well as the news at noon, 5, and 6PM live on-line, and full episodes of ABC primetime. However, because of that, I think a lot of people will just simply refuse to switch cable companies just for one channel, possibly paying more than what they are now. I think if just a fraction of people with Cablevision that watch Eyewitness News, then I think that will hurt WABC's ratings. Especially at 11PM, where WABC and WCBS have basically been neck and neck for the number 1 spot and where, I think, WCBS was number 1 a few months back.

 

As for Verizon FiOS. One of my relatives has it and it seems like an excellent provider. The HD picture is as sharp as could be and the internet is very fast.

 

All in all, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

Well there are many reasons why I decided to stay with Cablevision and its because as I mentioned before, because switching carriers is such a drastic measure for one channel. Sure Channel 7 is among the stations I watch frequently, and favor amongst all of the other stations, but I simply can't do it for so many factors. I didn't want to go into the details last night, but I feel I should now so that I can get my point across. So this will be a long post..

 

First of all, the phone number will be lost. I've spoken to both Cablevision and Verizon and there is virtually no way that my phone number can be ported over to Verizon. Cablevision will not release my home phone number to another carrier if I switch services, so my number will not port over to Verizon FiOs's phone service. Sure we can simply tell everyone that we have a new phone number, but is all of that really worth it for one channel? I don't think so..

 

The second biggest factor is the convenient WiFi hotspots that are exclusively available for Cablevision Optimum Online customers, most community hotspots have free Optimum WiFi service available, and its a really nice and nifty tool to have. I could go to the park, with my laptop and connect virtually all the time and etc. The internet speeds (on average) are virtually the same for both companies. I have Optimum Online Boost, which offers up to 30 MB Down, and 15 MB Upload. These are the fastest speeds that users can upload to. A friend of mine has Verizon FiOs, and I hardly noticed a difference. Although Verizon offers, up to 25 MB Down and 25 MB Down most of the time, the speeds hardly ever reach up to the stated speeds. Sure users can achieve speeds of up to what they are advertising, but the reality of it all is that the majority of the time speeds are typically no where near their advertised speeds because of several factors, such as internet connectivity issues, certain websites have slower servers, and etc. Sure Fiber Optics are ran directly to your house, and Cablevision shares their services, but the bottom line is that there is virtually little to no difference between the speeds from both Optimum and FiOs, not to mention Optimum Online Ultra which offers the fastest internet in the United States, at a much higher cost of course, but thats a whole other story...

 

The third biggest factor is the amount of Free High Def channels available, all HD channels are free on Cablevision. With Verizon FiOs you get a limited amount of HD channels in the beginning, to add more, it costs more.

 

The fourth factor is the price, although you pay the same rate for two years, typically lower than the cable company, the price will go up and it will be more expensive than cable. Cable customers typically can get on promotions after the triple play period is over, to lower the cost of their monthly bills which we've been doing successfully. Also we are part of a rewards program which gives us discounts, free movie tickets, and etc..

 

So I don't personally know who to side on with this scenario because both companies have valid and strong points. So I'm not gonna go into the details on that. And thats why these issues happen in the first place, its simply because both sides make very strong and valid points that are hard to break, which is why I think this battle should probably be settled in court, legally if it drags on.

 

Once again like I said last night, its simply too much of a hassle to go through all of the service changes at the cost of one channel, WABC is valuable, but not that valuabe, lol. I actually think its a ridiculous thing to do, there are ways out this such as watching the channel over the air, which most people will probably do, most people do have computers and internet, so people can watch clips online. So this certainly will not take a huge toll on those who are not technically savvy and are not good with computers and etc..

 

It may be my favorite newscast, but Eyewitness News isn't the only newscast in New York, there are obviously other options. And thats the sad reality of it all is that most viewers will turn elsewhere for their news if necessary, ABC and WABC is only hurting themselves by doing this, because they simply have nothing to gain, but money. They will probably drop from the top since hundreds of thousands of viewers will be unable to access WABC. Their ratings without question will definitely drop, they have already dropped to second place at 11PM, and that will probably only get worse. It could also potentially really hurt ABC's primetime shows as well because obviously the New York Area is the most populous area in the country, and Long Island is among the most dense parts of the tri-state in which the majority have Cablevision for, so this will all play a big role ratings wise, and will undeniably cause a ratings job.

 

At first I thought about switching, and even considered it, but when I thought about it further more for the past two days, its pointless to me. Because there are ways that I can access WABC, other than watching it on Cablevision so thats why it doesn't affect me as much, although I won't be able to watch ABC 7 on my flat screen TV in my den, its still viewable in many other ways. I'm pretty sure that they will come up with an agreement sooner or later if they remain off the air for 1 day to 1 month, chances are it will not be permanent, I honestly don't believe this all warrants a move as drastic as changing services, especially for ONE channel.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

Cablevision will not release my home phone number to another carrier if I switch services, so my number will not port over to Verizon FiOs's phone service.

 

Under the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) “local number portability” (LNP) rules' date=' so long as you remain in the same geographic area, you can switch telephone service providers, including interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and keep your existing phone number.... Therefore, subscribers remaining in the same geographic area can now switch from a wireless, wireline, or VoIP provider to any other wireless, wireline, or VoIP provider and still keep their existing phone numbers.[/quote']

 

 

This has been another episode of WEETERS BRINGS DOWN THE LAW.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

This has been another episode of WEETERS BRINGS DOWN THE LAW.

 

Well perhaps, I should bring that topic up next time I speak to a customer service representative from Cablevision, because they told me it was pretty much impossible, and I was kinda skeptical at first about that. Then again they gotta do what they can to keep their customers, even if that includes lieing to them...

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

WPVI being removed from Cablevision is a bit of a shock. Also, as it looks now, come tonight three million people throughout the tri-state will not be getting WABC as well. In the beginning, I thought perhaps a deal would be reached before today (as in the case of Fox 5 with Time Warner Cable on New Year's Eve), but now that looks unlikely. I will bet a ton of people will be really angry tomorrow evening when they are unable to watch the Ocsars. For a cosmopolitan area like New York, that will leave many unhappy.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

Holy crap. Cablevision must be dead serious in actually pulling the signal this time unlike other cable disputes (LIN, FOX, etc) I thought they and WABC must have reached by now. I'd wouldn't want to be the poor WABC employee chosen to man the phone desk during the Oscars tonight.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

Heh, that really sucks, the channel is only a placeholder now, its still there, but serves as a placeholder for a video similar to what Cablevision has been playing all week about how ABC is wrong for removing the channel and etc.. Anyway either way this is bad for both sides, no sides will gain anything from this and both will suffer, WABC will loose viewership, over 3 million viewers are at stake here, this will cause a significant ratings plummet. Cablevision may lose customers that are extremely loyal to ABC, but the majority will likely remain with Cablevision and etc.. Lets hope this doesn't drag on for too long now.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

Let me say that losing WABC does not warrant changing carriers all together...that just seems a bit much. WABC will return eventually, just as Food Network and HGTV did.

 

I believe that this shows WABC's commitment to community and their viewers means absolutely nothing. It is very convienent timing that they chose to pull this the night of the Oscars, and really mentioned potential blackout barely a week ago.

 

I also thought WABC's comments just before midnight were extremely rude and disrespectful, and again shows their lack of consideration toward their viewers. It is WABC that pulled their signal, not Cablevision. To indicate the Cablevision has betrayed their viewers is outrageous, to me. Then for them to say "enough is enough" is disgraceful.

 

The pessimist in me says that Verizon and WABC are working together. All this week, and all over their website are ads for Verizon as they have suggested that customers switch to another provider. I wonder if customers do switch, if WABC will get a cut of that. I also thought it interesting that they used a white background with red lettering last night; Verizon's colors. Maybe I'm just reading too much into that.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

Actually, you probably aren't. In St. Louis, KDNL had a deal lined up with Dish Network when they were negotiating with Mediacom/Charter. Admittedly, it didn't get this ugly, either.

 

WABC will be back on Cablevision' channels. But I heard that it wasn't WABC that pulled the plug last night; it was Cablevision. Gothamist reported that some New Yorkers didn't hav any locals at all for about 15 minutes last night.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

I love the banner you guyz.

 

Yes, the banner is pretty cool.

 

I just read the latest statement on SaveABC7.com from GM Rebecca Campbell this afternoon and it reads that they have sent Cablevision an offer and Cablevision has yet to respond. She writes that the ball is currently in their court. I wonder if Cablevision is going to give in to WABC's offer by tonight so they can air the Academy Awards and avoid wide-spread disapproval directed toward both Cablevision and WABC.

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Re: Cablevision Customers Lose WABC

 

Being a Cablevision customer, I did not notice those outages of the other networks. Maybe they were only in certain areas. I was up until about 12:30; didn't notice that in my area.

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Re: Cablevision Might Lose WABC-TV on March 7th

 

The third biggest factor is the amount of Free High Def channels available, all HD channels are free on Cablevision. With Verizon FiOs you get a limited amount of HD channels in the beginning, to add more, it costs more.

 

Cablevision thanks you for buying into their marketing.

 

Cablevision says HD channels are "free" but it's only "free" if you already pay for iO Digital Cable. Not everyone does. As I said before, my family's cable/internet/phone bill is a little bit less every month and we get a little bit more. Plus, the fact that we're not supporting the Dolans really makes it priceless.

 

If you can live without News 12, MSG Varsity and MSG HD, you should really consider making the switch.

 

In a related story, check out "How Cablevision Is Destroying Newsday": http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/03/04/how-cablevision-is-destroying-newsday/

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Re: Cablevision Customers Lose WABC

 

It's ridiculous for a company to ask for big bucks for something it broadcasts for free, but Cablevision is (apparently) run by morons, so I think they're both wrong. I'm not happy with the very angry rhetoric spewed from each side either.

 

There's a loser here and I don't think it's either ABC or Cablevision: it's the viewers.

 

And I'm waiting for Fios to hit our area because of the increased selection of channels. (I'd love to get CNNI and BBC World for one!) However, it's iffy as to when they'll be offering the service in my area. And DirecTV isn't an option because I watch the local sports teams. So if ABC pulls this crap with Comcast...

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Re: Cablevision Customers Lose WABC

 

I blame ABC On this... they do it right before the Oscars and put INNOCENT viewers in the middle of it! Cablevision will WIN this no body should switch cause WABC will likley be back (according to a report on EWN 47% of viewers are cablevision subscribers!! They will eventually be back! Or they can say hello to last place!!

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