G_Poobah
join:2004-01-17
Schenectady, NY
| reply to fiberguy
Re: When I Dumped Comcast!
Ha.. haha.. hahahaha.. hahahahahahaha...
"Among our Big Four, Comcast Corp. is the most generous, giving more than 4 percent of its operating profit, mostly in free ad time for public-service announcements. Take Comcast's $66 million in free ads, Moore said. "It's not uncommon for cable and broadcasting companies to give $100 million in PSA's [public-service ads]," she said. "I'm surprised Comcast doesn't give more, frankly."
Hahahahaha.. FREE AD Time? That's not charity, thats unsold ads that they write off. Comcast comes up with their own value for the unused ad time (the highest legally allowed), and then uses it for local notices that don't even ask for it. I ran into that exact situation at the local cable board meeting, and it was quite fun to watch the comcast shill squirm in the seat. He finally admitted that they seldom, if ever, donate anything OTHER THAN free ad time. When questioned even more, he admitted that the free ads are only run when the spot has not been sold. (i.e. 3:00 AM on channel 2). Comcast contributed jack squat to our community.
"Most companies give about two-thirds of their charitable contributions in the form of cash grants, said Giving USA, a foundation that does research and educates the public about philanthropy. Comcast gives less than 5% in the form of cash grants."
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Flabby? pastey-skinned? riddled with phlebitis? Then you've got a good Republican body! So compare your lives to mine, and then kill yourself. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| There may be exceptions to the rules.. But, in the systems I am familiar with, comcast gives actual cash grants to actual charities.
Additionally, in the systems I've worked in, they were one of the largest donaters to toys for tots, as well as the food banks throug the collection of new toys and canned food, in lue of installation fees.
I can personally vouch for 7 semi loads of food we donated on year and the same in toys for tots... That's just an example of some of the things they do.
The ad time? Won't really touch that.. if you ask me, the amount of good those free ads and PSA do is minimal. I call those breaks bathroom time and run to the kitchen time.. OR, flip to another channel.. that is if I am not too busy fast forwarding through the comercials anyway since I DVR most of my television.
If you ask me, that ad and PSA time bs is just that.. BS anyway. |
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shoan
join:2006-02-27
Benton, AR
| you said that the donations were collected which means people in the community paid for the items or employees brought the items in. So I can not consider that a donation at all. Yes you say in lue of install fees but that goes into the catagory of PSA's being donated. Granted it is a worthy cause and I like that they waived install fees. But when I was cable I don't remember the fees for install being anything in the first place. Large corporations tend to have to give of a certain amount of money or assets to charites to reduce the taxes that they pay which in effect raises the profits that are retained. So that kinda goes against being charitable. It is mearly diverting tax money to another source to maximize the bottom line. |
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Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA
| It's not to raise profit.. It's to raise cash flow. Usually they do this by using an accelerated method of depreciation for tax purposes, and then the slowest depreciation allowed by FASB for their SEC reporting. I'm sure media companies LOVE that they can "donate" all their unused ad time for tax writeoffs at peak rates.
If only we could "donate" grass clippings, and raw sewage to charity. No-one would have to pay taxes.  |
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cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
Levittown, PA | reply to fiberguy
I vote fiberguy is a Comcast Astroturfer!
All in favor, reply!  |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to shoan
Re: When I Dumped Comcast!
said by shoan  :you said that the donations were collected which means people in the community paid for the items or employees brought the items in. So I can not consider that a donation at all. Uh, what planet do you live on? Organizations that organize collections or charitable contributions, be it their own employees that participate, are still able to say they gave as a whole because it was them that did the drive. So, yes. I guess you are one that says that companies that support the United Way don't really do anything either, right? even though they lock you in a room and let the UW ambush their employees for money...
Yes you say in lue of install fees but that goes into the catagory of PSA's being donated. Granted it is a worthy cause and I like that they waived install fees. But when I was cable I don't remember the fees for install being anything in the first place. This isn't about you dude. The example that I am talking about very much was a giving up of the $42.00 install fee. I do not say that giving up the install is the same as the PSA situation. That drive took the money out of the company bank account for an entire 30 days for each and every installation. Add that up for evey customer installed, serviced by a tech, or change of service and that money adds up. The company did not have the benefit of the cash in their account giving it up for a toy to give to the marines, or the food to the food bank.
How can you say it's the same as a PSA? That's rediculous. Drives are done to insite community spirit! The company could right out a check donation and write it off just as easily as collecting toys or food. When you ask people to open up for charity, many will tend to do good in other places as well.
I am glad you aren't running any charitable orgs becaues you don't understand how it works.
You remind me of that cartoon charactor on Hanna Barbara.. you know the one "We'll never make it!" or "It'll never worrrrrk"..
Large corporations tend to have to give of a certain amount of money or assets to charites to reduce the taxes that they pay which in effect raises the profits that are retained. So that kinda goes against being charitable. It is mearly diverting tax money to another source to maximize the bottom line. Diverting tax money to another source.... ? Do you have any understanding how and why there is a tax write off for charitable donations in the first place? or are you just blowing smoke because of some other reason?
The government encourages people to donate and give chaitable contributions in their own way or in their own communities because it's beleived that people can do a better job than the government when it comes directing charitable contributions. In lue of giving money to chairty, you can write off a PORTION of that donation on your taxes. THe more people that give to causes, the theory is the less that government should have to. SO yea, it really is a diversaion - but it's supposed to be.
The only thing I can say about your post is this - you don't see any corporate involvement in charity as anything other than a "something in it for them"... you know, people that head or run businesses also do have the desire to be charitable too.
I own a business and I give large donations each year in both cash and my time. I guess I am ingenuine. Don't get me started dude.. I've been VERY much a charitable person all my life and always will be. I give ALOT of my time and money each and every year. I can almost bet that you don't lift a finger at-all based on your nay-say attitude here because a true chartiable person recognizes charity when they see it... you don't. Any help, that is not connected to corruption, is charity. I hardly consider anything that was mentioned above as being corrupt. |
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shoan
join:2006-02-27
Benton, AR
| All I am saying is that if they are wanting to be charitble then give from the final bottom line not sacrifice taking in profits to say they donated. Do as you say you have done given your own personal money. When I do donate I donate directly not through any middle person, since all it does is dilute what was given. I aplaude you for giving of your own time and money but that is the key there you gave your OWN money. If comcast at the end of fiscal year stepped up and said we made 10 bil and we are giving 50 mil in charity and left it at that then fine no problems here but don't do it to have a tax write off in fact turn down the tax write off. Charity is something you do to help someone else and it taints it when you give so that you have this other side benifit the only thing you should take away from charity is the feeling of having done somethign good for others not hey look atmy tax write off. |
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