Just spotted this story from the Associated Press: FCC to probe pricing policies of cable, Verizon
Specifically, the Federal Communications Commission wants to make sure that consumers are being treated fairly as cable TV companies and Verizon’s FiOS TV service move analog channels to digital.
The AP interviewed FCC chairman Kevin Martin, who told the news agency, “I’m certainly concerned with the increasing cable prices that consumers are facing,” Martin said. “They are getting less and being charged the same or more.”
This statement seems to echo many of the comments I’ve had on this site lately.
Another interesting point in the AP story: The FCC is looking into whether the shift of analog channels to digital tiers is being tied to the unrelated Feb. 17, 2009 transition to digital for major broadcast TV networks.
O.C.’s two cable companies Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications are on the list, as are Comcast Corp., Charter Communications Inc., Cablevision Systems Corp., Bright House Networks, Suddenlink Communications, Bend Cable Communications, GCI Company, Harron Entertainment and RCN Corp. Verizon, which offers FiOS TV service, is also on the list.
I’ll be looking into this more in the morning.
Related stories:
- Verizon discounts its TV bundle to compete with cable
- Western Digital offers way to watch PC’s HD movies on TV
- Time Warner’s new HD channels and why Costa Mesa, Tustin get them first
- FiOS TV still growing, reaches 2.2 million customers
- Time Warner still cleaning up cable merger mess in O.C.
- Cox Cable adding… mobile phone service?
- 30 new HD channels for AT&T U-verse
- AT&T’s U-verse TV service still targeting Irvine
- AT&T’s U-Verse TV has less than 1 million users
Tamara 'the Gadgetress' Chuang
[...] Feds to look closely at cable TV firms pricing, channel changes [...]
[...] Feds to look closely at cable TV firms pricing, channel changes [...]
Read all the information. The FCC is mainly investigating the moving of analog channels. Some cable users want to get 98 channels (from channel 2-99) on their regular TV without a cable box. Each analog channel the cable company can move gives space for at least 2 HD channels and 8-12 digital channels. Satellite, U-verse, FIOS are not limited in being required to supply some analog channels. Cable has only so much pipeline and needs to make space for more HD channels. Those people with the minimum basic cable should not expect “satellite” channels without a converter. All the other TV service suppliers require you have a converter. Pricing is another issue I too have never been happy with, but the FCC pricing here has to do with charging for a converter box to see some of the channels.
It’s about time…we are getting bilked by these companies. The only improvement is in their billings, nothing on the service. All of them are big fans of the Dionne Warcick song “Promises, Promises” but nothing is being done to improve servies.