Comcast makes offer to merge with Disney

[Luv2Roam]

I can't say I would pay for the Disney Channel. (no kids) There are too many free channels to watch. They would have to come up with something really special to charge $10 a month to subscribe.

But I am old enough to remember the days when the Disney Channel was a pay channel -- and it was good.
Now -- it's free and I never have it on.
Anyone who has kids probably appreciates it.

As a pay channel, I remember it including programming for the whole family -- everyone liked watching. (Remember D TV? ) Then it was the essential Disney.
Now it's a kid's only (I'll bang my head against the wall if I have to watch it) channel.

 

[lucky_bunni]

Originally posted by wtg2000
One editorial I read said that Comcast really wants ABC. I would think they also want ESPN, and the Disney film library. I wonder if there's a chance Disney could sell them ABC, ESPN and the other broadcasting segments and keep the Disney core.

The problem with this is that Ei$ner and his board would be the one's to start selling off the non-Disney divisions and they aren't going to do this. They are the ones who've built this huge conglomerate, why would they williingly tear it apart? When Ei$ner came to the helm, he brought Disney (animation, Disney studios, Theme Parks) back together. However, he became greedy and started aquiring all these other companies to make a bigger, more powerful company that made him more rich and powerful. I can't honestly see Ei$ner being willing to sell off the other divisions, which he purchased, and being happy to run a smaller company again.

 

[Luv2Roam]

lucky_bunni -- agree.
That would also be admitting he was wrong. I don't see that happening.

 

[lucky_bunni]

Just a Walt quote to think about:

"I am not influenced by the techniques or fashions of any other motion picture company."

This just said to me that Walt's way of running the company was a way that differed from the way any other company was ran and he didn't need to look toward anything else but within the company for guidance. The talent within The Walt Disney Company has and will always be there to make it a GREAT company. Disney doesn't need some outside company to come in to help it be great again.

 

[treesinger]

Originally posted by lucky_bunni
Just a Walt quote to think about:

"I am not influenced by the techniques or fashions of any other motion picture company."

This just said to me that Walt's way of running the company was a way that differed from the way any other company was ran and he didn't need to look toward anything else but within the company for guidance. The talent within The Walt Disney Company has and will always be there to make it a GREAT company. Disney doesn't need some outside company to come in to help it be great again.

ITA!

 

[barbeml]

Amen!

 

[normr]

Steve Jobs (President & CEO of Apple & Pixar) wants to put together a group to counter Comcast's offer. Here is the following:



Pixar, others conspire to spoil Comcast bid

A string of America’s biggest media groups, including Pixar, the animation studio, and the troubled Time Warner, are examining counter offers for The Walt Disney Company in an effort to spoil Comcast’s $62 billion hostile bid, reports Times Online (U.K.). Pixar -- whose chairman is Steve Jobs (also CEO and founder of Apple) -- was involved in a joint venture with Disney until last week. Pixar is understood to be looking to form a consortium of financiers to counter Comcast’s bid

 

[normr]

It just won't be the same, can you image youself going to Comcast World & Comcastland, or cruising on the Comcast Wonder or the Comcast Magic,

 

[goofyguy1958]

Actually, I read an article today, In the Philadelphia Inquirer, that suggested Comcast is courting Jobs to join in the bid to take over Disney. I see I am in the minority in my view that Comcast is not as evil as most people think. I look at their history of success, both with the parent company and acquisitions, and hands-off management, not to mention deep pockets, and see the silver lining and not the cloud. It is becoming a little depressing coming to these boards lately with all the pessimestic chatter. Just my two cents and optimistic view.

 

[hirschberger]

We have Comcast for our cable provider and let me tell you how bad it is. When there is a special show on a channel comcast can not program thier computers to show the proper channel. When you call for help they tell you that they will get back to you and you wait and wait.

I am so scared of the thought of Comcast running what we now call Disney. Just imagine how bad we think M. E. to be and it would be ten times as bad with managers that are looking at the bottom line and not the happiness of the people.

Here in the dutch country we are seeing more and more dishes due to the constent increase in our cable cost.

 

[floridafam]

When there is a special show on a channel comcast can not program thier computers to show the proper channel

WHat do you mean by this?

 

[hirschberger]

Every year we are blessed by the ability to see the Phila Mummers parade and year after year at 7pm we get a test pattern ( not allowed to show the program ) because they always forget to reprogram the computer to match the special program that is to be televised.

 

[floridafam]

They can't just show anything they want.

Comcast has to buy programming from various places. They have to pay Disney for the right to offer ESPN.

It has nothing to do with people at the local Comcast office. They probably aren't legally allowed to show what is on that channel at that particular time.

 

[mitros]

If you go back over a lot of these posts, you will find that most folks complaints about Comcast are about their poor customer service. Maybe their hands off management is part of the customer service problem. Deep pockets do not necessarily translate to good service. Part of the reason they have so much of the cable business is because they give the local powers that be a good deal to get their services in to a particular geographical area. If you live in that area, and there is no other cable service available, your stuck with poor service from the cable company that got itself in the door. We had Comcast when we lived in NJ, and the customer service as well as the cable service itself was very poor. And, there was no other service to switch to. I guess if your customer has no viable alternative to it's local cable service, you have no incentive to do anything to improve your service. That is IMHO anyway.

 

[cristen]

This must be an east coast thing. I have never heard of anybody complaining about Comcast here, My husband works for Comcast and deals with the customers all day long. I told him about all the discussion boards saying that the customer service is horrible. He said he never heard of it. All his customers are really happy with the service. I never have a problem with my service, and my husband has never had to fix our service at all.

I would like to see if any of the posters on the west side is having the same problems with customer service.

 

[floridafam]

My husband works for Comcast and deals with the customers all day long. I told him about all the discussion boards saying that the customer service is horrible. He said he never heard of it. All his customers are really happy with the service. I never have a problem with my service, and my husband has never had to fix our service at all.

Ditto.

 

[goofyguy1958]

I have worked in customer service for years in on capacity or another and I have found that people will always find the cloud in the silver lining no matter what is done for them. I too have had a couple of bad experiences with my cable --an indifferent customer service rep, weather outages, etc.-- but I have had about 15 years of good cable service. We only remember the occasional bad experience and take for granted the constant uninterrupted service. When we are talking about our cable service compared to how Comcast would run Disney, we are talking apples and oranges. Mitros, you are confusing what I meant by hands off management. I was referring to how Comcast took over a dying franchise in the Philadelphia 76ers and pumped life into them to the point that they now sell out almost every game, even though they stink. They also took over QVC and turned them into a profitable entity that actually sells quality. Quality, isn’t that what we all expect but aren’t presently getting in everything Disney? This is my point. Again, my 2 cents.

 

[barbeml]

No, I am not "looking for clouds" when it comes to Comcast. I am not a negative person who is never happy no matter what is done for me. Here is a sampling of what I have endured since Comcast bought out the wonderful cable company that used to service my area:

1. Announcement that Comcast was "upgrading" equipment and bills would increase once the upgrade finished.

2. Cable immediately starts going out for hours every day, picture on most stations is horrible.

3. Altho "upgrades" are still going on and service is horrible, my bill is immediately increased by $5.00.

4. Call Comcast to complain--since they said no increase until after repairs. I am promised credits to my bill. Never get the credits.

5. Cable reception is almost always bad and we have constant outages (never had such problems with old company).

6. Another bill increase, some channels disappear from Basic Plus, I am forced to pay more for a higher "tier" to get those channels.

7. In response to avalanche of complaints from irate customers, township holds public hearings on Comcast. Despite the turnout and ongoing complaints, those "deep pockets" must have filled some local pockets, because Comcast is still here.

8. I pay my bill early because I am going to WDW. That sets off a six-month nightmare during which Comcast harrasses and threatens me with collections actions. (They credited my payment to the wrong account but refuse to admit it.) I call, I send letters, written proof, faxes. My bank sends (three times) a copy of the check they cashed. The threats continue. I copy all my proof to a VP in Philly.

9. Six months and more threats later, I can't take it any more. I fax the "customer service" department once every half hour until someone calls me back. TEN HOURS later, I get a call from a woman who says this is the first she's heard of this. I have been contacting that office for six months, I have spoken or written to more than a dozen employees in this company, but this is the first she's heard of it. Finally, I am told my account will be credited.

10. I get a rude and dismissive letter from the VP in Philly, no apology.

11. Bill keeps going up, outages continue (even on Superbowl Sunday). They took away the Travel Channel and last week Sci-Fi Channel disappeared. No explanation, but this bill keeps going up.

Sorry, I didn't have to look too hard to find the clouds associated with Comcast.

Sorry for the long post.

Barbe

 

[dkostel]

Making a long story short, I had a billing problem where they owed me a refund. I made 15 calls to customer svc, which goes to 1 of 3 call centers in Chicago area so to speak to a specific rep you have to keep calling back until you get the right center, & I still didn't have a resolution. Three of these calls were connected to a "supervisor" who gave me their name and extension (3 different ones) and when I called back each time I was told there was no one by that name & extension (yes, 3 separate times). My issue wasn't resolved until going through the BBB (who has excellent customer service BTW). I don't think I'm over-reacting, it took over 5 months to get back $80.

 

[mitros]

Exactly!