Crappy Hotel "Cable" Report - Bedford Park, IL

[shmee]

i'm staying at the Kahler Inn & Suites in Rochester, MN & they have Lodgenet through Charter Communications... according to the channel guide card in the room

there channel line up is:

2- HBO
3- KIMT (CBS) which has snow on it & says 'hotel info
4- WCCO (CBS) which is blacked out during the day??
5- KSTP (ABC)
6- KAAL (ABC)
7- The CW
8- KXLT (FOX)
9- KMSP (FOX)
10- Local Access
11- QVC
12- KTTC (NBC)
13- KSMQ (PBS)
14- Local Charter Channel
15- WGN America
16- C-Span
17- C-Span2
18- MSN
19- Government Channel
20- Educational Access
21- Weather
22- Educational
23- TV Guide
24- TBN
25- ETWN
26- Shop NBC.. but on that channel its the Big Ten Network.. according to tvguide.com Shop NBC is on channel 971
27- Inspirational
28- Lifetime
29- TBS
30- FS North
31- ESPN
32- ESPN2
33- Speed Channel
34- Golf Channel
35- Outdoorlife Channel.. yes it does say Outdoorlife Channel... which is Versus
36- Food Network
37- Oxygen
38- WE
39- TruTV
40- HGTV
41- E!
42- A&E
43- BET
44- VH1
45- MTV
46- CMT
47- Comedy Central
48- AMC
49- TV Land
50- Sci-Fi which i think is now SyFy
51- FX
52- TNT
53- USA
54- Spike TV
55- TLC
56- Discovery Channel
57- History Channel
58- Travel Channel
59- National Geographic
60- Animal Planet
61- Hallmark Channel
62- Cartoon Network
63- Nickelodeon
64- Bravo
65- Interactive... but it skips right on to ch. 66
66- ABC Family
67- Weather Channel
68- Fox News
69- CNN News
70- CNN Headline News
71- CNBC
72- MSNBC
73- MTV2
74- Univision


Yes, only 1 movie channel

 

[KML0224]

Still sounds better than what I saw in Bedford Park/Chicago. I'm surprised to see you mention the Twin Cites stations like that.

 

[shmee]

well, i'm from St. Louis & i'm only here in Rochester, MN b/c my mom has to get test done at the mayo clinic

 

[shmee]

sorry i couldnt get my 1st post up 2 times i couldnt delete one of them LOL

 

[KML0224]

What I should've said is that you don't have many cable systems carrying out of market stations anymore, save for a nearby PBS affiliate.

Also, I wish the best of luck to your mother, Shmee.

 

[mleach]

i'm staying at the Kahler Inn & Suites in Rochester, MN & they have Lodgenet through Charter Communications... according to the channel guide card in the room

there channel line up is:

2- HBO
3- KIMT (CBS) which has snow on it & says 'hotel info
4- WCCO (CBS) which is blacked out during the day??

Yes, only 1 movie channel

NO CBS during the day? Hmmmmmm

I wonder if there are any hotels/motels left out there that still don't offer at least one of the big four..ABC/CBS/FOX or NBC?

The movie channels...maybe its not the case today but I believe there was a time way back in the 80s ( maybe the 90s ) when the "rule" was that motels/hotels ( mainly the chains ) couldn't offer more than one movie channel like HBO AND Showtime.

I know our local Holiday Inn back in 1986 ( my aunt worked there at the time ) tried to do that..channel 10 for HBO and channel 11 for Showtime, but one of them ( I think it was Showtime ) went to the hotel and told them they had to make a choice. Oddly back then that Holiday Inn was in a city where the local cable system did NOT offer Showtime.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

LodgeNet has this big deal with ESPN. If ESPN launched the ESPN Curling Channel, LodgeNet would probably add it wherever possible.

Re: "no full lineup of the Big Four" - I suspect a Fox affiliate or two is missing from hotel lineups, though that probably changed drastically after the NFL contract. Most lineups I've seen do include all four networks.

 

[charlestondxman]

Most cable systems are LodgeNet, and even some of the smallest hotels have 3 ESPNs. I also get mad about the hotels that have nice HDTV's, but only have analog cable, and maybe about 20 channels of TV.

 

[jh]

All those ESPN channels are due to the price structure. A few years ago,somebody posted a link to Lodge Net's rates, and it cost the hotel more to get just ESPN than it did to get the four ESPN channels.

I don't remember the exact rates, but it was something like $3 per room per month for ESPN, $2 per room per month for all 4 ESPNs.

I don't know whether this is ESPN's doing or Lodge Net, maybe both. Lodge Net sells the local avails, hotel guests who watch ESPN must be a sought-after demo.

I would much rather have the local cable system in hotels then these Lodge Net systems that pick up a handful of national channels plus some (usually not all) the over-the-air channels.

 

[Neil56]

A couple months ago I volunteered to be bumped from a flight and I got put up at the Mariott or Hilton or something in Cleveland. Very nice hotel with a big HDTV in the room. But it was only getting analog channels. So I watched big screen stretched-out blurry tv.

I guess I shouldn't complain because it was on the airline's nickel, but geez, why put big HDTV's in the rooms and not feed them at least some Hi-def channels?

 

[kenrayc]

I just stayed at a Motel in Anahiem near Disneyland called the Candy Cane Inn, privately owned. They have their own TV system, They only carried KCBS 2, KNBC 4, KABC 7, and KTTV 11 for local stations and only had about 18 cable networks, the usual main ones USA, Discovery, ESPN, CNN, Fox News, Headline News, Speed, TLC, Disney, Disney Kids, Nick, and a few others. What gets me is I've stayed at other hotels in Southern CA and they at least had KTLA 5, KCOP 13, KCAL 9, and KCET 28, and some channel were grainy,or had lines running through the picture.

 

[BRNout]

I just stayed at a Motel in Anahiem near Disneyland called the Candy Cane Inn, privately owned. They have their own TV system, They only carried KCBS 2, KNBC 4, KABC 7, and KTTV 11 for local stations and only had about 18 cable networks, the usual main ones USA, Discovery, ESPN, CNN, Fox News, Headline News, Speed, TLC, Disney, Disney Kids, Nick, and a few others. What gets me is I've stayed at other hotels in Southern CA and they at least had KTLA 5, KCOP 13, KCAL 9, and KCET 28, and some channel were grainy,or had lines running through the picture.

No KTLA? Oh, that's grim! Then again, I'd probably expect to see a lot of "other" channels at any motel called the Candy Cane Inn!! ;D

Not all hotels are bad though - just stayed at a Quality Inn in the Quad Cities, IL/IA area which offered the entire Mediacom analog lineup. That even included NGC, 2 PBS stations, and every other mainstay of basic cable. Plus, these guys gave everyone free Starz and HBO.

Nice - that kind of TV will have me as a return customer. After all, a room is a room and as long as the place is clean, there's good TV and a free paper in the AM...that's all you really need.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Not all hotels are bad though - just stayed at a Quality Inn in the Quad Cities, IL/IA area which offered the entire Mediacom analog lineup. That even included NGC, 2 PBS stations, and every other mainstay of basic cable. Plus, these guys gave everyone free Starz and HBO.

Nice - that kind of TV will have me as a return customer. After all, a room is a room and as long as the place is clean, there's good TV and a free paper in the AM...that's all you really need.

Bumped for a question.

In areas where the local cable system will be converting their lineups to all-digital (except for perhaps basic cable with locals, PEG channels, and perhaps shopping/religious)--for which my hometown of Springfield, IL will become when Comcast moves to all-digital above channel 22 as early as next month--how has (or do you think will) this transition been handled by motels that had relied upon the local cable system's analog lineup (rather than developing their own MATV system though LodgeNet)? Do you think this will be a boon for the likes of LodgeNet (or Dish/Direct TV), or do you think (most likely at the cheap motels) this will result in some places offering only the limited basic cable lineup not requiring a digital box (and nothing else)?

 

[azumanga]

If Chicago has any indication, motels and hotels would simply dump Comcast for the small dishes (with or without Lodgenet). Personally, Comcast would definitely see a drop in subscribers among lodging facilities, unless they make special concessions with them, which would include special discounts on subscriptions and equipment.

I know from experience that lineups at motels that use dishes suck -- recently (December 2009), a Quality Inn in St. Augustine that I stayed in had a limited lineup of CNN, all ESPNs, Cartoon Network and HBO, as well as Jacksonville ABC, CBS and Fox. And lots of blank channels in between. Despite what the line-up card said, there was no PBS or NBC. (Why is it that I can never watch WTLV at a motel in the Jacksonville market? This is the third motel in the row that I couldn't tune it in.) Also, for some reason, one channel had a frozen picture of a man at a wine rack -- that image was there for the entire stay.

 

[DToTheJ]

...recently (December 2009), a Quality Inn in St. Augustine that I stayed in had a limited lineup... for some reason, one channel had a frozen picture of a man at a wine rack -- that image was there for the entire stay.

I guess one can argue that he was the most drunk person in the entire hotel!

 

[KML0224]

To update my thread here: If the weather holds here in Connecticut on Tuesday, I will be heading to Nashville on Tuesday. Do I do a new hotel cable thread then? Ha ha! I know some areas of Nashville are served by Comcast. I would be staying at the Holiday Inn/Opryland-Airport, near Briley Parkway (TN Route 155), about 1.4 miles north of BNA (airport).

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Despite what the line-up card said, there was no PBS or NBC. (Why is it that I can never watch WTLV at a motel in the Jacksonville market? This is the third motel in the row that I couldn't tune it in.) Also, for some reason, one channel had a frozen picture of a man at a wine rack -- that image was there for the entire stay.

How low can NBC get in Jacksonville--to the point that the channel with a frozen picture of the man at the wine rack has a chance at better ratings (at least in that hotel) than the local NBC affiliate?

 

[azumanga]

How low can NBC get in Jacksonville--to the point that the channel with a frozen picture of the man at the wine rack has a chance at better ratings (at least in that hotel) than the local NBC affiliate?

Especially since the "wine rack" channel was not NBC in question -- the channel line-up card had NBC on another channel, which was actually blank.

 

[w9wi]

To update my thread here: If the weather holds here in Connecticut on Tuesday, I will be heading to Nashville on Tuesday. Do I do a new hotel cable thread then? Ha ha! I know some areas of Nashville are served by Comcast. I would be staying at the Holiday Inn/Opryland-Airport, near Briley Parkway (TN Route 155), about 1.4 miles north of BNA (airport).

The area where you're staying is indeed a Comcast area. (to my knowledge, all of the city of Nashville is Comcast, as are Rutherford and Williamson Counties - Murfreesboro & Franklin. Charter in many other suburbs.)

Their analog system is still up though occasionally not looking all that good.

(to get way off topic, if the purpose for your visit doesn't include a visit to the Opryland Hotel, you should still check the place out. Pretty amazing facility. You'll also see the WSM studio/office facility right at the exit. This used to be the WSIX 980 AM transmitter facility -- the towers were in what's now the parking lot... The new Opry Hall is in that complex as well.)

 

[KML0224]

Time to update this thread! I'm in that complex again in Bedford Park, IL. This time it's the Sleep Inn next door. Same s----y LodgeNet "cable" on an old tube TV. Oh joy! Here are my "massive" channel choices:

1- Interactive TV
3- Interactive TV
4- WFLD-TV (FOX) channel 32 Chicago
14- HBO
15- HLN
16- TBS
17- ESPN
18- TNT
19- Discovery
21- USA
22- The Weather Channel (national feed)
23- ESPN 2
24- ESPN News
25- CNN
26- ESPN Classic
27- Cartoon Network
28- TLC
29- C-Span
30- Fox "News" Channel
31- HGTV
32- Food Network
33- Travel Channel
34- CNBC
35- Golf Channel
36- MSNBC
37- Disney Channel
38- WBBM-TV (CBS) channel 2 Chicago
39- WMAQ-TV (NBC) channel 5 Chicago
40- WLS-TV (ABC) channel 7 Chicago
41- WGN-TV (CW) channel 9 Chicago
42- WTTW-TV (PBS) channel 11 Chicago
43- Hotel Information
46- Interactvie TV2
00- Welcome Channel

Just like last time...4 ESPN channels. There's no MY, UNI, TEL or Telefutura.