sad days for those of us in chi town

[Galelor]

i am losing Sci Fi channel because comcast sucks nuts =(
i feel the need to spread the word for those of you who live in my area.
my days are sad...

message boards at Sci Fi about it
http://mboard.scifi.com/showflat.php?Ca ... =0#1060208

2 chicago tribune articles about it at this link, cutting and pasteing the articles.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... &cset=true


this was the first one writen:
August 5, 2005 2:08 PM CDT: Miss your Sci Fi fix? Call Comcast

As of Aug. 10, Chicago-area Comcast customers will no longer receive the Sci Fi Channel if they subscribe to the company's basic-cable package. They'll have to upgrade to Comcast's more expensive digital package to get the channel's offerings.

That move comes just a few weeks after the channel's most notable original series, including the highly rated and critically acclaimed "Battlestar Galactica," launched new seasons.

When I spoke to a Comcast PR representative last week, she said she had not heard about any complaints regarding the Sci Fi situation. "I think a lot of people won't even pay attention to the change," Comcast's Pat Keenan told me.

Well, there's an active SciFi.com message board on the topic, and I've gotten several letters and phone calls about it.

Chicago resident Byron Scott's letter was typical: "Do you know what Comcast is doing in the city? They are moving the Sci Fi Channel to digital and replacing it with the Golf Channel! Come on! Really -- what has the broader viewership? Are they trying to force people to get digital? Or do they just hate their customers? I just hope RCN [cable] is [available] in my building."

Comcast provided a number that customers can call if they care to make their thoughts about the Sci Fi move known: it's 800-COMCAST. E-mails can be sent via the Contact Us page on the Comcast Web site: http://www.comcast.com.

Link to the above item.


this was the follow up:
COMCAST FALLOUT: Some readers have written to let me know that they had trouble getting a person at that 800-COMCAST number I gave out in this story. Over the weekend, I received more than a dozen complaints about that and about Comcast's removal of Sci Fi Channel from its basic cable package. I understand your frustration with the phone number, but that number is the only one Comcast would give me after several requests.

Regarding the Comcast/Sci Fi situation, Cece Forrester, a Comcast subscriber in Chicago, sent a typical missive:

"That PR person at Comcast is either lying to you, or her management is keeping her out of the loop. I daresay the volume of complaints has been impossible to ignore, even as of last week. People won't pay attention to the change? She may wish, because it's certainly a PR disaster. ...

"I had called the local customer service line as soon as I got the notice in the mail and figured out what was going on, telling them they are already charging me way too much money and I am not interested in paying even more as an alternative to getting less. Then the following week they called me, with a recording reminding me about the Sci Fi change and telling me to get digital. I called customer service again and made it clear that I was thisclose to terminating my relationship with them because I do not accept phone solicitations, even from companies I have a relationship with.

"I reiterated that because of their aggressive attempts to force me to upgrade, I absolutely refuse to do so. In the hope I can make other arrangements to continue receiving Sci Fi, I have been in contact with RCN to request a proposal, and they are supposed to get back to me. ...

"Meanwhile, Comcast is running a crawl on the Weather Channel about the Sci Fi switch, stating in part 'A subcription [sic] ... and a digital converter are necessary.'

"Yes, of course they are trying to force people to get digital! And while Comcast may not actually hate us, it's become clear that they inherited from their inept predecessors a fundamental disrespect for the customer. Not only do I hope this move backfires on them big-time, I suspect it actually will."

[Gloriana]

I'll leave this here for a couple of days, but it should really go to the Grey since it is non-EQ related. Currently, I don't have cable. The sci fi channel would be one of the only reasons I would get cable!

[Yesak]

[Wudoman]

I like Comcast... we haven't lost cable in the Denver area since they took over. I understand they just purchased Adelphia recently also.

[Galelor]

[Jaeydee]

[Beafly]

I pay for an upgraded Dish package so my wife can watch TLC and I can watch G4. I think these companies watch closely who watches what and move the channels to increase revenues.

[Grendalkhan]

I've had DirectTV for well over a year now.

I will never go back to comcast again.

[Horomen]