If you haven't noticed, cable TV is increasingly an expensive luxury in our lives.
Naperville's prices are nearly 24 percent higher than the national average and yet we are still waiting for competition to come into area. It isn't asking much for fair competition, but does it have to take this long?
Will politics get in the way?
I read your column this morning and it was informative and interesting. I think we all spend too much on cable tv. I tried only getting basic cable, like espn and discovery channel and Comcast told me my area wouldn’t include those channels unless I paid for the digital upgrade. I didn’t understand.
It still cost me more than $63 a month for two boxes. I don’t get it. I watch about 5 channels on cable and the other regular channels. You’re right, it’s too expensive.
If we get a new cable provider, I’m not confident prices would be lowered. Look at how WOW’s prices haven’t done anything to COMCAST.
Mike -
I have Comcast cable. Your article is so timely and should appear on the front page.
Everytime they incrementally raise my rates, I swear I'm going to cancel the service. But I don't. You're right they have us coming and going. There's no "free market" here. We have become the victims of capitalism run amok. Our government has abandoned us to the mercies of these entities, caring little about the concerns of the consumer, only those of big business.
Not only does Comcast raise rates, they take away Channels. I no longer get Oxygen, C-Span 2 or the SciFi channel. And aside from PBS, the C-Span channels are our last media not under the control of the five media/military industrial giants.
I just started reading GOTCHA CAPITALISM by Bob Sullivan. On page 15 he begins a discussion on Stealth Inflation focussing on cable companies.
Please keep writing about this. I'm guessing that a lot of people have responded to your story.
Comcast's prices for basic cable ("standard cable," as they call it) are actually lower than neighboring towns, simply because we have another cable company (WOW) available here.
That said, prices are still too high. Comcast always blames its content providers for higher programming charges, but maybe they should try negotiating instead of just sitting back and passing the punishment on to customers.
I don't get it. I read here that everybody thinks the rates are too high, but everybody is paying them. Cut the cable for God's sake and go with either satellite or over the air broadcasts. Otherwise, quit grousing!
Bruce, satellite TV is not available to everyone in Naperville. If you don't have a place to attach the satellite on your house (or apartment, or condo, etc.) that's facing southwest, you can't get satellite TV. Believe me, I'd rather have that than Comcast.
Also, over-the-air broadcasts are all well and good...for another 12 months. Then everything's switching to digital and you're pretty much going to be forced to subscribe to cable at that point. Sure, you can get a converter box to watch ABC, NBC, FOX CBS & PBS...but while you're there, might as well sign up for cable, right? Sneaky.
MITCHELL RESPONDS: It's possible. It could be a laden strategy, but doubtful since the switch is being performed because Hi-Def TVs are the future and much of the industry is behind. Actually the switch was supposed to take place in 2007, but got delayed because it wasn't going to be done in time.
I have a little secret for you all. Buy a new TV with a QAM tuner built in. All the Vizio LCD's have a QAM tuner built in. I can capture all the local HD channels right off my Comcast cable for free!! I have Comcast Basic Analog only and I will get to watch the Super Bowl for free in HD!!! Google QAM tuner and research it since most of the sales people at places like Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. have no idea what a QAM tuner is. Comcast must carry the HD signals on their cable for the local HD channels due to the FCC must carry rule, they just don't tell anyone about it.