Food Network & HGTV missing from my Cablevision.

[Planogirl]

I like the idea of picking and choosing channels if we can still watch it on a TV and not a computer monitor. I enjoy sitting down with people and watching TV plus DH would hate to give up his remote.

 

[Meriweather]

We haven't lost anything with Dish yet. Maybe the other squabble with ABC was regional?

Yes, it was with the local station from Seattle. They gave us a whole $1 a month credit

 

[bicker]

I like the idea of picking and choosing channels

You might not like the prices packaged that way. This is real information, not a projection:

Discovery HD Theatre (HDTV) 	$5.50 
Golf Channel ***	$4.50 
Bravo (East & West)**	$4.50 
ESPN Classics** 	$4.50 
FXM**	$4.50 
Game Show Network** 	$4.50 
HGTV (East Feed)** 	$4.50 
Independent Film Channel** 	$4.50 
National Geographic Channel** 	$4.50 
Outdoor Channel** 	$4.50 
Versus** 	$4.50 
RFD TV** 	$4.50 
SciFi Channel** 	$4.50 
Sleuth/Chiller**	$4.50 
Speed Channel** 	$4.50 
Disney XD** 	$4.50 
Turner Classic Movies** 	$4.50 
Women's Entertainment Channel** 	$4.50 
MTV Digital Mini Pak** 	$7.00 
Discovery Digital Mini Pak** 	$6.00 
Scripp Mini Pak** 	$6.00 
ABC WSB (Atlanta) 	$5.00 
NBC WXIA (Atlanta)	$5.00 
CBS WGCL (Atlanta)	$5.00 
ABC (KMGH Denver) 	$3.00 
CBS (KCNC Denver) 	$3.00 
NBC (KUSA Denver)	$3.00 
FOX (KDVR Denver) 	$3.00 
CW (KWGN Denver) 	$3.00 
My Network TV - MNT	$3.00 
PBS (KBDI Denver)	$3.00 
PBS (KRMA Denver) 	$3.00

* Must have a minimum of 5 or more services in your package before these services can be ordered.
** Must have a minimum of 10 or more services in your package before these services can be ordered. All services must be the same service length.
*** Must have a minimum of 15 or more services in your package before these services can be ordered.

Keep in mind that, with the service described above, you're on your own with regard to equipment. You buy your own; if it breaks, you get it fixed yourself.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Bicker is that per month?

 

[Planogirl]

I wonder if those prices would be so high if this system was prevalent though? Some less popular channels might group up to lower costs.

I came up to $43 with that list but many I'd want don't seem to be on there.

 

[bicker]

Bicker is that per month?

Yup.

Shocking, eh?

I wonder if those prices would be so high if this system was prevalent though?

C Band isn't as rare as you may think. Regardless, value is what value is. Beyond that, remember that C Band has to compete with Dish Network and DirecTV. No one has any reason to prefer a big dish over a small one. It's actually more of a do-it-yourself operation, so I would expect it to cost less than what we pay, not more.

Some less popular channels might group up to lower costs.

They do offer packages. For example:

Great American Country, HGTV E, Discovery Kids, The Military Channel, The Science Channel, Discovery Health, Investigation Discovery, Planet Green, Discovery en Espanol, BBC America, HGTV, Food Channel, Food Channel, DIY, Fine Living, Discovery, Animal Planet, Travel, Learning Channel, Blue Highways, MAV TV, HLN, Tru TV, TNT, CNN, Spike TV, USA Network, Cartoon Network, CNBC, MSNBC, WPIX, Fox News, Comedy Central, VH1, CMTV, A&E, AMC, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime Channel, IPG, HGTV =
$34.00 per month

Note, though, how that does NOT include ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, etc.

 

[Nancy]

Fox & Timewarner Cable are battling, too. At least they've been advertising it for weeks to let people know... With AI starting soon, I'd be sad to loose Fox. (Though I could live w/out the rest of their shows...)

That is my concern...don't make me lose my Idol! I am NOT with the cable company on this at all. TW raises our supposedly locked in price a few dollars every few months and when we call on it we get a huge runaround and garbage spewing out of them. Never had this issue when we were with Adelphia. Since the start of our package deal with "lock in prices for 2 years" deal our bill has gone up almost 15.00

 

[JoiseyMom]

Wow..I am so glad we have Fios!! DH would not be happy losing Food network!

We love Fios, and have had very little issues with them. Cablevision was a nightmare!!

 

[LisaNJ25]

Wow..I am so glad we have Fios!! DH would not be happy losing Food network!

We love Fios, and have had very little issues with them. Cablevision was a nightmare!!

Same here.. we are so much happier with Fios. I got tired of Cablevision pulling channels unless we upgraded to a digital box. I think I was down 20-25 channels by the time we switched.

 

[palmtreegirl]

I love my free antenna HDTV.

 

[disney1990]

Another happy FIOS customer here.

 

[FireDancer]

You might not like the prices packaged that way. This is real information, not a projection:

Discovery HD Theatre (HDTV)     $5.50 
Golf Channel ***    $4.50 
Bravo (East & West)**    $4.50 
ESPN Classics**     $4.50 
FXM**    $4.50 
Game Show Network**     $4.50 
HGTV (East Feed)**     $4.50 
Independent Film Channel**     $4.50 
National Geographic Channel**     $4.50 
Outdoor Channel**     $4.50 
Versus**     $4.50 
RFD TV**     $4.50 
SciFi Channel**     $4.50 
Sleuth/Chiller**    $4.50 
Speed Channel**     $4.50 
Disney XD**     $4.50 
Turner Classic Movies**     $4.50 
Women's Entertainment Channel**     $4.50 
MTV Digital Mini Pak**     $7.00 
Discovery Digital Mini Pak**     $6.00 
Scripp Mini Pak**     $6.00 
ABC WSB (Atlanta)     $5.00 
NBC WXIA (Atlanta)    $5.00 
CBS WGCL (Atlanta)    $5.00 
ABC (KMGH Denver)     $3.00 
CBS (KCNC Denver)     $3.00 
NBC (KUSA Denver)    $3.00 
FOX (KDVR Denver)     $3.00 
CW (KWGN Denver)     $3.00 
My Network TV - MNT    $3.00 
PBS (KBDI Denver)    $3.00 
PBS (KRMA Denver)     $3.00

* Must have a minimum of 5 or more services in your package before these services can be ordered.
** Must have a minimum of 10 or more services in your package before these services can be ordered. All services must be the same service length.
*** Must have a minimum of 15 or more services in your package before these services can be ordered.

Keep in mind that, with the service described above, you're on your own with regard to equipment. You buy your own; if it breaks, you get it fixed yourself.

All of that is probably buying through a middle man and not directly from the channel owners. That would elliminate the minimums and since you would be going right to the source the price would probably drop. I envision a $1 dollar per month cost for most channels and I would also have no minimums in terms of number or durration. So if I only want Fox Soccer Channel from August to May I can and just not have it for June and July. In the end the consumer should be the one to dictate the price and terms as we control the demand side of the equation and the supply side will be opened up with the ability to self publish. This will happen with television content just as it will with print media.

As far as the equipment I would much rather just build my own box (like a Linus server running boxee) or get something that aggregaters channels like a Tivo or Roku player. Once the service is out there will be demand for pre-configured boxes and they will be made.

As far as watching on a TV and not computer screen that is not that difficult. There are a lot of ways to build a system that pushes web content to a 10 foot interface (the tech jargon for TV and not monitor Viewing) and while it requires some computer savviness now the market will make it easier and cheaper based on the demand for such things.

 

[wdhinn89]

I was procrastinating switching to FIOS because I didn't want to lose my
e-mail account but after Cablevision pulled HGTV and the Foodnetwork, I'm calling Verizon on Monday.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I know! We discovered the same message this morning. No warning or anything. There is a spot on the FoodNetwork and HGTV websites to send a message to Cablevision, which I did. I love both those channels so hope they come back.

THANKS for posting...I think EVERYONE should go and send those messages to Cable that we want our channels back.

I also think if we all start calling cable and demanding a decrease in our bill for losing channels they'd perhaps respond as well...................hmmmmm....I hear phones dialing....

 

[Zandy595]

Before I realized what cable company you were talking about, I freaked out and had to turn on the tv to make sure my Food Network was still there. Whew! I feel for you. Hope you get your channels back soon.

 

[ericamanda01]

This entire thread has reconfirmed our decision to give up cable. Tomorrow morning it will be off and I am shocked at how little I care. When I think about how much we pay and the upcoming rate increases show me it is just not worth it. We will save almost $900 a year.

 

[bicker]

All of that is probably buying through a middle man and not directly from the channel owners. That would elliminate the minimums and since you would be going right to the source the price would probably drop. I envision a $1 dollar per month cost for most channels and I would also have no minimums in terms of number or durration.

That's not going to happen, no way, no how. They are currently charging $1 per hour for television, on Amazon. No possible way, in our lifetimes, that that will go down to $1 per month.

Now, to be clear, some channels will go down that low. Maybe channels like Chiller and Sleuth. However, the top-tier of cable channels and national networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, will be higher, for sure, no doubt, if we went to retail a la carte. My best guess has been in the $3 price range, though, not the $5-$7 that you see NPS offering.

Alternatively, everything will turn into a shopping channel. They won't make you pay for those. They'll just present advertising somewhere on screen, 24/7. That's the dystopian entertainment industry we'll have, if the profit motive for companies like Scripps, Viacom, News Corp and Disney essentially evaporates. All shopping, all the time.

As far as the equipment I would much rather just build my own box

I'm sure you recognize that you're pretty-much alone in that. Sure there are a few other people who are like you, but the vast majority of Americans are not, and their proclivities will drive what is and is not made available.

get something that aggregaters channels like a Tivo or Roku player.

Something like that, yup. Note, though, that that puts your Internet provider in the drivers' seat, since it drives up the value you're deriving from your Internet connection, perhaps by an order of magnitude, so expect your Internet monthly rate to go up, perhaps not by that much, but at least by a factor of three or four.

 

[starwood]

I am beyond angry about this. We used to have Directv and switched back to Cable because we kept losing our signal everytime we had a little shower. I think if this goes on for more than a week I may look into Dish Network. I just checked their rates and they are better than Directv and the equipment is cheaper. I will never do Fios as we have had nothing but problems with Verizon on several levels.

I have e-mailed Cablevision AND HGTV about this because they are both to blame. They have to stop trying to see who will give first and come to an agreement. I can believe that Scripps sponsors are happy over the loss of 3 million viewers.

 

[bicker]

I am beyond angry about this. We used to have Directv and switched back to Cable because we kept losing our signal everytime we had a little shower. I think if this goes on for more than a week I may look into Dish Network.

Just a note about this: There is nothing about Dish Network that will make it any less prone to outage due to interference from weather.

I just checked their rates and they are better than Directv and the equipment is cheaper.

There is a reason for the price difference between Dish Network and DirecTV. Consider Dish Network the "economy" satellite service -- the Wal-mart to DirecTV's Macy's. Depending on your preferences (i.e., price is more important than everything else), Wal-mart may be the best choice.

I will never do Fios as we have had nothing but problems with Verizon on several levels.

FiOS is considered, by most folks who have tried it, the very best of all worlds, with regard to subscription television. (Personally, I'm not sure it is really significantly better, but it surely isn't worse than any of the alternatives.) Verizon is notoriously poor when it comes to billing errors, but other than that, they win every other category when comparisons are made.

In both cases, with DirecTV and Verizon, keep in mind that your past experiences with them should be considered an advantage. You know those companies. You might even have the names of some people there to whom you've complained before. (That is very very useful in case of future problems!) At the very least, you are much more familiar with their systems and processes. Rest assured, none of the alternative suppliers you have available to you are free from the kinds of problems you've experienced with the companies you've done business with before, and since you've never dealt with them before, you start at Ground Zero if you have a problem with them, trying to figure out who to contact to get satisfaction. You should consider that a disadvantage of any new supplier.

And this even applies to Cablevision; the fact that you know Cablevision should be considered an advantage. They are in a dispute, now, with Scripps over the price Scripps wants for Food Network and HGTV. Conceptually, Cablevision is trying to protect its status as one of those "Wal-mart" suppliers, focusing on keeping the cost of service low, so there is less upward pressure on prices. What I foresee happening is a further differentiation in the marketplace going forward, with Cablevision perhaps being the cable version of Dish Network, the economy offering, while the price of FiOS, and DirecTV, shoot up markedly, as they become the "Tiffany" service providers. So it may pay off, if price is your major concern, to stick it out with Cablevision, at least long enough to see if they eventually do make a deal with Scripps to get your favorite channels back. It is as likely as not that whoever you switch to would end up taking Food Network and HGTV away, later, when they have this same rate dispute with Scripps. Either that, or they'll just roll-over and take whatever increase Scripps insists on, and roll it into some price increase, because they'll recognize that providing you uninterrupted service on your favorite channels is a added-value that they deliver to you, and an added-value that they should therefore be compensated for.

I have e-mailed Cablevision AND HGTV about this because they are both to blame.

They're both doing what they're supposed to, even though it dissatisfies us. This sort of thing happens all the time when companies have different owners, and therefore different overriding obligations. It is going to be happening a lot more, in the next few years, because the whole structure of the industry is going to change. We're going to be caught in the middle, and there is nothing to do about it, unless we want to just pay whatever anyone wants to charge us, or basically be stuck watching nothing but shopping channels.

They have to stop trying to see who will give first and come to an agreement.

I wish business was that easy.

 

[mf1973]

Food Network is back on Cablevision as of 1/21!