J
jal
Guest
Looks like ESPN is playing bully with small cable systems.
Today, Acworth CableNET, a small system in Acworth (located in NW Cobb County) was forced to move ESPN and ESPN2 to Channels 26 and 27 from their old positions of Channels 56 and 57. ESPN ordered the system to give them the better channel positions or they would terminate their deal with CableNET.
Currently, they are in a management shakeup. The system is owned by the City of Acworth and is leased to Savannah based United Telesystems Inc. (UTI), a company whose chief business is consulting small cable companies. UTI has a deal to buy the system, but the deal is falling through as I speak because they are missing lease payments. The city is beginning the process of taking the system over.
I talked someone there today, and they told me bluntly what was going on, that ESPN was playing hardball because they want the best channel position possible. They explained that because of the small nature of the system, they are unable to bargin like big systems (i.e. Comcast) can to retain the current channel position.
Most of the sports channels moved to the upper 20's, with the cable news channels in those posoitions now in the 50's.
Also, they were unable to notify customers of the change. They were given a quick deadline to make the change or their satelite would be deauthorized.
Today, Acworth CableNET, a small system in Acworth (located in NW Cobb County) was forced to move ESPN and ESPN2 to Channels 26 and 27 from their old positions of Channels 56 and 57. ESPN ordered the system to give them the better channel positions or they would terminate their deal with CableNET.
Currently, they are in a management shakeup. The system is owned by the City of Acworth and is leased to Savannah based United Telesystems Inc. (UTI), a company whose chief business is consulting small cable companies. UTI has a deal to buy the system, but the deal is falling through as I speak because they are missing lease payments. The city is beginning the process of taking the system over.
I talked someone there today, and they told me bluntly what was going on, that ESPN was playing hardball because they want the best channel position possible. They explained that because of the small nature of the system, they are unable to bargin like big systems (i.e. Comcast) can to retain the current channel position.
Most of the sports channels moved to the upper 20's, with the cable news channels in those posoitions now in the 50's.
Also, they were unable to notify customers of the change. They were given a quick deadline to make the change or their satelite would be deauthorized.