Time Warner To Test Cheap Cable Package

[listener-in]

This is the thin end of the wedge - charging more for everything else. Already my local TWC has reduced my options with no corresponding reduction in price. Apparently as part of some kind of digital conversion, many channels that were previously available without a cable box now need a box for access.

And this should be a warning about what the telecom companies will do on broadband if net neutrality is not maintained. If net neutrality goes, so does your freedom of choice; and if you value that you should immediately contact the FCC and your representative and senators.

 

[PDXREXX]

It is the most expensive channel. IIRC, it costs something like $4/month per subscriber.

Is that combined for both ESPN and ESPN2 or only ESPN ?

I heard that one regional sports network costs $2 a month a believe (could be wrong) that network is YES which is owned by the Yanks.

It's $4.08 as of 2009 and it's just ESPN/ESPN HD. Fox Sports Networks adds another $2.37.

Here's a link to a rate card: http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20100308/hate-paying-for-cable-heres-the-reason-why/

Scroll down and click on the image to enlarge it to a readable level. Or copy it onto your desktop.

ESPN costing $4.08 and ESPN2 costing $0.54 big difference in price.

FOX Sports Net is not worth $2.37 some markets don't have a FSN as they already have a regionial sports network such as NESN, Comcast Sports Net, YES, MSG, etc.

Last FOX News is high, why so much for them?

I just recently read an article in Mediaweek that mention
carriage fees and The 3 most expensive RSNs are

Comcast Sportsnet Washington $3.01 per sub/month
NESN $2.62 per sub/month
YES network $2.46 per sub/month

and the average carriage fee for the top 10 RSNs
is $2.51 per sub/month

 

[Madmansam]

Last FOX News is high, why so much for them?

Didn't Fox just pay Juan Williams $2 million?

And, let's face it, Juan is nowhere near their highest paid personality.

Isn't Bill O'Reilly the highest paid personality @ Fox News Channel?

 

[radiolives]

It is the most expensive channel. IIRC, it costs something like $4/month per subscriber.

Is that combined for both ESPN and ESPN2 or only ESPN ?

I heard that one regional sports network costs $2 a month a believe (could be wrong) that network is YES which is owned by the Yanks.

It's $4.08 as of 2009 and it's just ESPN/ESPN HD. Fox Sports Networks adds another $2.37.

Here's a link to a rate card: http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20100308/hate-paying-for-cable-heres-the-reason-why/

Scroll down and click on the image to enlarge it to a readable level. Or copy it onto your desktop.

ESPN costing $4.08 and ESPN2 costing $0.54 big difference in price.

FOX Sports Net is not worth $2.37 some markets don't have a FSN as they already have a regionial sports network such as NESN, Comcast Sports Net, YES, MSG, etc.

Last FOX News is high, why so much for them?

I just recently read an article in Mediaweek that mention
carriage fees and The 3 most expensive RSNs are

Comcast Sportsnet Washington $3.01 per sub/month
NESN $2.62 per sub/month
YES network $2.46 per sub/month

and the average carriage fee for the top 10 RSNs
is $2.51 per sub/month

NESN is more then YES thought might be other way around.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Comcast has been offering something similar for over a year now, called "Digital Economy". I believe price and lineup are pretty close.

Here in Springfield, IL (a "newbie" Comcast market as they took over for Insight locally as 2008 began) I downsized to the Digital Economy package last fall, since I felt I watched too little TV (other than news, local weather and some sports on weekends) to justify paying more than I needed.

Here's our local Digital Economy lineup in Springfield (including a few other channels I've also been getting that I didn't think were part of the package):

2-WICS (ABC 20.1) Springfield
3-WCIA (CBS 3.1) Champaign
4-Local Access ("Access 4 Springfield"--now operated by the City of Springfield)
5-Local Advertising (also on channel 244)
6-WBUI (CW 23.1) Decatur
7-WRSP (Fox 55.1) Springfield
8-WSEC (PBS 14.1) Jacksonville/Springfield (with actual studios in the Springfield suburb of Chatham at Glenwood HS) (BTW, channel 14 in Jacksonville was the home of the ill-fated WJJY-TV from 1969-71)
9-WGN America (also on channel 115)
10-WAND (NBC 17.1) Decatur
11-HSN (also on channel 241)
12-WILL (PBS 12.1) Urbana/Champaign
13-QVC (also on 240)
15-CSPAN (also on 445)
16-TV Guide Channel
17-Weatherscan (from TWC) (also on 434)
18-Springfield Municipal Channel
19-WCFN (My 49.1) (former Springfield analog repeater for WCIA, standalone since 2002 with 49.2 now retransmitting WCIA)
22-Educational Access
26-CNN (also on 407)
29-BET (also on 166)
30-USA (also on 106)
31-Discovery (also on 461)
33-Spike (also on 141)
37-A&E (also on 158)
42-Lifetime (also on 121)
43-Disney (also 315)
44-The Weather Channel (also 430)
45-Comedy Central (also on 148)
46-Animal Planet (also on 455)
47-Cartoon Network (also on 325)
48-Food Network (also on 211)
50-Fox News Channel (also on 406)
53-E! (also 133)
89-Shop NBC (also on 242)
98-"Local Access Programming" (mainly Comcast Sports Net Plus programming of extra Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks games not on the main Comcast Sportsnet Chicago)
138-Total Living Network
189-WEIU (PBS 51.1 Charleston, IL)
219-PBS Create (WSEC 14.3 Jacksonville/Springfield)
220-PBS Create (WILL 12.3 Urbana)
232-This TV (WBUI 23.2 Decatur)
233-ION
255-Big Ten Network
275-EWTN
277-Trinity Broadcasting Network
317-Disney XD
416-PBS World (WILL 12.2 Urbana)
417-PBS World (WSEC 14.2 Jacksonville/Springfield)
418-MHzW (WEIU 51.2 Charleston)
436-Stormcenter 17 (WAND 17.2 Decatur)
446-CSPAN2
516-MLB Network
611-Lifetime Movie Network
692, 693, 694-Big Ten Network alternate feeds
850 thru 895-Music Choice

In addition, there were a few weeks last spring (during March Madness) that CBS College Sports (channel 531) was coming in even with Digital Economy, but I don't know if that was just for a limited time during the NCAA tournament.

Not bad--other than the extra Big Ten network feeds and the Music Choice selection, 52 channels on our local Digital Economy package. Springfield will be going all-digital above channel 22 effective Dec. 7 (with the extra bandwidth used for more HD channels), and I don't know if there will be any more channels added to Digital Economy or if there will be changes to some of the cable packages after the switch (but I'm not holding my breath).

 

[DToTheJ]

TWC is test marketing this in two areas - NYC, and right here in Northeast Ohio. Interestingly, the promotional price is $39 in NYC, and $29 here.

New York City has somewhat of a higher cost of living; that's probably why it costs a little more in NYC. Everything does.

 

[DToTheJ]

OK - so let's price this puppy a la carte...

Total cost of channels: $7.17

Naturally, there is some overhead cost, but TW is making a pretty profit. It's their right to do so, but I wouldn't be buying.

Wouldn't most of the $22.82 (or $32.82 if you're in NYC) that one would be paying for this package go toward possession of the cable box, as well as access to all of the local broadcast channels? Remember, those Fox stations demand top dollar.