topic Re: Spectrum,Not Again in TV and Movies

Spectrum,Not Again

Jordan2 — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 19:48:11 GMT

So I'm watching Feud last night on FX and scrolling across the bottom of the screen is a threat we will lose FX and shows like The Americans, Fargo, and Feud! Last year I remember the threat of losing NBC and the other related channels. There was a number to call to complain and I will, but I'm so sick of this! My cable bill is $200 a month and will probably go up again, because we the consumers will have to suffer the burden of the settlement. I know it's not just Spectrum that does this, example of a thread of DirectTV having trouble with ABC.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

waterlily — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 15:38:34 GMT

I finally summoned the courage to cut cable last December and now get more channels for free than I did when I paid Spectrum. Even an indoor antenna gives me all the networks and 26 other channels. With that and Netflix, I'm very happy and $150 richer each month.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

2blonde — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 15:50:12 GMT

@Jordan2 You can add U-Verse to your list. Last month we lost all CBS channels, but it only lasted a week (it was a regional thing). At least they are giving you a warning. I never even got that.......it was just gone. I also pay over $200/mo.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

makena — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:11:47 GMT

I'm just sick of their dang commercials.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

ID2 — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 17:41:27 GMT

@waterlily wrote:
I finally summoned the courage to cut cable last December and now get more channels for free than I did when I paid Spectrum. Even an indoor antenna gives me all the networks and 26 other channels. With that and Netflix, I'm very happy and $150 richer each month.

You must live near a big city if you are getting so many channels on just an antenna. We live in the boonies and I get a grand total of 2 channels on my one tv using an antenna. We were much better off, a few years ago, when our cable company didn't require a cable box for every tv. I had cable to watch anywhere in my home! Now we only have 2 boxes because its so expensive. My non cable tv's are Smart tv's so I can at least watch Netflix. Cable companies are pricing themselves right out of everyones home.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

riley1 — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 18:11:31 GMT

For years Time Warner did that sort of thing with the losing channels, etc. Got sick of paying them and every year playing "Let's make a deal" to lower the rate.

Got rid of them 18 months ago and don't regret it. Do I miss some of the shows I used to watch, sure - however, I like having the extra money in my wallet more.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

Jordan2 — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 22:34:26 GMT

I called today to voice my opinion of how unhappy I am with this new threat of losing FX. I don't know if it does any good, but at least Spectrum knows about my disappointment with them.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

SilleeMee — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 22:44:09 GMT

If I cut my cable then I would get only 4 channels with a regular antenna. It stinks. Cable companies are like drug dealers...they get you hooked then stick it to ya

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

michellegirl — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 06:01:37 GMT

This is THE WORST! Especially when you pay $100 - $200 per month! I had Time Warner Cable that was just purchased by Spectrum and this has me worried! When consumers are paying such a high premium for their service, they have an EXPECTATION of service. Losing channels is NOT an option and shame on the cable companies for inconveniencing the paying customer. Can you tell that this is a sore subject for me?!? LOL!

I am SO tempted to ditch cable, too. The problem is that every time I do some research on it, I haven't been able to find a solution that will work for me....YET. I have a feeling that something viable will be available in the not-too-distant future since the anti-cable market is growing. The problem for me is that cable is probably my one guilty pleasure because I enjoy "staying in." I wish I could "pay by channel" because there are only a handful of channels that I watch regularly. The problem is, those channels are not in the basic tier. I really hate the "tier" setup, too. A total ripoff, IMHO.

Thanks for letting me vent...I feel a little better now...LOL!

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

winamac1 — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 10:57:04 GMT

We just switched from Brighthouse/Spectrum to Direct TV. WHAT A NIGHTMARE IT'S BEEN!

Spectrum kept raising our bill. I threatened to disconnect if they woudn't come down, and they didn't. They said "too bad". Brighthouse was GREAT before they either merged or got bought out by Spectrum. They'd always give me a "deal" when my year ended--Spectrum--not so much..refused to budge. I heard a lot of customers are leaving due to increased prices.

Last weekend we switched--drama with dh and internet and now the cable has not been buried yet.

I abhor all of these companies--I hope it gets ironed out. I do like the Direct TV ease of operation for the tv recorder. I only had one box with Spectrum and paid more. ATT is giving me a deal for 2 years. Then, I'll end up having to switch again. It's the biggest racket.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

gardenman — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 10:31:02 GMT

To be fair to the cable companies, a lot of the complaints in this thread should be directed at the networks which are now extorting money from the cable companies. If you go back to the early days of the cable TV industry, channels would often pay a cable company to carry them. If they're not being seen they can't sell advertising and advertising dollars kept channels afloat. To get on as many cable systems as possible, channels would often pay the cable systems to put them on their system and hope to make up the money through commercial sales.

Cable companies were raking in the dough back in those days as there were limited channel slots available and lots of new up and coming channels that wanted to be on the air. Over the last twenty years or so, that situation has evolved. I don't believe any cable channel now pays for system placement and nearly all now charge to let their programming be aired by the cable companies. Even local, over the air channels now charge to have their programming available through cable. That's largely why our cable bills have gone from $20-$40 up to the current prices of $100 or more.

I believe ESPN (maybe MTV?) was the first of the cable companies to go from offering their service for free, or paying to be aired, to charging cable companies to air their service. Once the first cable network figured out they could get paid by the cable companies, the word spread and soon every cable channel wanted to be paid for letting their programming air.

Cable TV providers had little choice but to yield to the demands of the networks involved. A cable system with no programming isn't going to survive. Networks, large and small, and even local channels now all get paid to have their programming air on cable systems. That revenue stream now is more important to them than the advertising dollars they used to rely on. When their current contract with a cable company expires,they want more than they got on the old contract and with the way cable channels have merged through the years, if the cable system doesn't agree they could lose five or ten channels from their lineup and likely lose customers to a competitor, so the cable system has little choice but to yield to their demands.

Here's a chart showing the cost of just twelve cable channels. https://consumerist.com/2014/08/05/espn-accounts-for-more-than-6-of-your-cable-bill-could-soon-top-8/ Now, most cable system carry far more than twelve channels. When you start adding up all of those numbers you come up with the reason why our cable bills have risen so much.

And the networks aren't stupid. They know if they tell their viewers to call the cable/satellite company to demand they keep the channel that the call centers for those systems will get flooded with calls that will cost the cable/satellite company more money to increase staffing to field all of those angry calls from the consumer who wants their MTV, FX, or which ever channel is holding the gun to the head of the cable company this week.

Setting up and running a cable TV system is not cheap, but the profit for the companies come over the long term. Now the content providers, no longer satisfied with advertising revenue are getting paid by the cable companies and cutting into those profits and the only way the cable companies can stay viable is by passing those price increases on to the consumer.

I'm convinced we'll eventually migrate to a system where the consumer subscribes directly to the networks and live streams whatever they want from that network. CBS with their All Access is testing that theory out. I suspect that over the next few years, many more networks, if not all of them, will follow suit. At that point consumers will be able to buy just the channels they truly watch and if those channels wish to increase their prices, they'll have to bear the brunt of the consumer's anger instead of the cable companies.

In this case the anger people in this thread have should truly be directed at the networks more than the cable systems. It's the networks with their ever increasing demands for more and more money from the cable systems that's raising the costs of our cable bills and forcing cable companies to decide whether to carry the network at all. Most consumers are unaware of how the system has changed over the last few decades and point the finger of blame at the guy who's billing them when in fact they're often not to blame.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

waterlily — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:32:46 GMT

@ID2, I don't live near a big city. The first antenna we purchased costs $20 and could only pick up 3 channels. Did some research where you put your zip code in to find the best antenna for your area and now use a Mohu ($60) to receive so many channels.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

Jordan2 — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 15:17:58 GMT

@winamac1 wrote:
We just switched from Brighthouse/Spectrum to Direct TV. WHAT A NIGHTMARE IT'S BEEN!

Spectrum kept raising our bill. I threatened to disconnect if they woudn't come down, and they didn't. They said "too bad". Brighthouse was GREAT before they either merged or got bought out by Spectrum. They'd always give me a "deal" when my year ended--Spectrum--not so much..refused to budge. I heard a lot of customers are leaving due to increased prices.

Last weekend we switched--drama with dh and internet and now the cable has not been buried yet.

I abhor all of these companies--I hope it gets ironed out. I do like the Direct TV ease of operation for the tv recorder. I only had one box with Spectrum and paid more. ATT is giving me a deal for 2 years. Then, I'll end up having to switch again. It's the biggest racket.

@winamac1, I have Spectrum and my promotional year was up. I had to fight tooth and nail to get what I wanted. It took many phone calls, and a whole song and dance to get it settled. You ask to speak to a supervisor and they will never connect you to one.I threaten to leave but I don't think they really care.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

winamac1 — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 18:34:13 GMT

@Jordan2 wrote:
@winamac1 wrote:
We just switched from Brighthouse/Spectrum to Direct TV. WHAT A NIGHTMARE IT'S BEEN!

Spectrum kept raising our bill. I threatened to disconnect if they woudn't come down, and they didn't. They said "too bad". Brighthouse was GREAT before they either merged or got bought out by Spectrum. They'd always give me a "deal" when my year ended--Spectrum--not so much..refused to budge. I heard a lot of customers are leaving due to increased prices.

Last weekend we switched--drama with dh and internet and now the cable has not been buried yet.

I abhor all of these companies--I hope it gets ironed out. I do like the Direct TV ease of operation for the tv recorder. I only had one box with Spectrum and paid more. ATT is giving me a deal for 2 years. Then, I'll end up having to switch again. It's the biggest racket.

@winamac1, I have Spectrum and my promotional year was up. I had to fight tooth and nail to get what I wanted. It took many phone calls, and a whole song and dance to get it settled. You ask to speak to a supervisor and they will never connect you to one.I threaten to leave but I don't think they really care.

I spoke to 3 supervisors. They all said the same thing---sorry...can't help you now that Spectrum has taken over. I called 3 separate days.

I was so ticked off that they would not "work" with me at all.

Brighthouse worked with me, and they'd always give me a promotional discount.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

Jordan2 — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 00:14:16 GMT

I was watching The Americans last night, scrolling by was a threat, this could be your last new episode of The Americans!

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

Annabellethecat66 — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 00:18:28 GMT

I'd never do it because I'm all about easy. I get every channel I can from Comcast......but I get "Wired" magazine. It's a magazine all about the latest and greatest (especially computer stuff, etc).

They listed places and programs you can go to that are only a few dollars where you can get just about every channel you want. It's all out there and if you know where to go you can get it for almost nothing.

Re: Spectrum,Not Again

Kitty Galore — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 17:03:14 GMT

I kind of resent when they keeps to.ling that warning at the bottom it makes me angry and upset at the thought of losing 3 of my favorite shows. Feud, Americans and fargo coming up next week , which I love !!! I thought of calling but then what good would that do , I mean aren't they going to do what they want in the end? I'm holding out hope that things will get resolved , but I wonder what the odds are in this situation. Anyone know if there is a deadline or if anything new has been said ?