robjlevin
join:2002-10-30
Millington, NJ
| reply to submrge
Re: [CATV] INHD 2
The SNY thing made them look like complete fools. They spent months claiming there was little to no interest in the channel and then boom...all of a sudden it's added because of high demand.
How many times do you have to look like an idiot before you learn?
As long as we're on that. They sure didn't waste a second raising rates, did they? Well, they're removing INHD2, where's my rate reduction?
And why can't we get an explanation for why they've got SNY and YES in HD but not MSG and FSN? They have no problem posting all the details for the NFL Network blackouts.
As for CSN, I think they could easily get away with adding that to the areas that are in the official Philly DMA. There's really no point in adding it anywhere else since it would be out of market and all the games would need to be blacked out anyway.
They seem to have their collective heads stuck in the sand figuring that FiOS isn't going to effect them. I think that attitude is going to bite them big time. I'll switch for the customer service difference alone. The Patmedia CSRs are the most clueless bunch of people I've ever tried to talk to.
They have no idea what's going on and management seem to like it that way since they obviously provide zero training for these people.
The Verizon employees...at least the ones I've spoken to...are well trained and very knowledgable about FiOS. |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ
| reply to dsEAGLES
The Montgomery zip codes fall within the zip codes allocated to the Philadelphia Phillies under the Major League television agreement. The Sixers games would be
shown without blackout in Montgomery because all of the Nets games are on YES (cable or satellite). The NBA blackout policy only applies to games shown over the air. |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ
| reply to submrge
The Princeton nodes being a small part of the system is irrelevant. Philadelphia Phillies are the home town team. Not providing the Princeton residents with the home town team is a very sore point.
Unpatriot has 80,004 residential subscribers. Cablevision
has 963,576 residential subscribers in NJ. The Princeton
nodes account for 6,848 subscribers or 8.6%. The Montgomery node accounts for 5,386 subscribers or 6.7%. That is a total of 15.3% of your subscribers that you are denying access to the home town baseball team. Cablevision
has 33,112 subscribers in its Hamilton system or 3.4% of its NJ subscribers. Cablevision provides CSN Philly to this
small 3.4% of its NJ subscribers. Cablevision also provides
YES, SNY, MSG and FSNY to Hamilton. Cablevision is under no
obligation to provide YES or SNY to Hamilton. CSN Philly is
not available on satellite by the mandate of the FCC, so the Princeton subscribers cannot access the Philly CSN baseball games at all. Both YES HD and SNY HD are on Directv. With regard to those two channels, subscribers have choice.
The only reason that Unpatriot does not provide CSN Philly
to Princeton or Montgomery is because you have not figured out how to pass the entire cost (about $2.15 per month on to all subscribers). Unpatriot does not want to decrease its margins. The Unpatriot ownership is looking to flip the
system for a big profit and could not care less whether
the Princeton and Montgomery residents get to watch the home town baseball team.
If CSN is offered to Princeton and Montgomery, the only other subs that would have to get it are subs within the
Philadelphia Phillies allotted zip codes. I have not checked to see if there are more zip codes within your
service area. I suspect there are not.
When you say "most" subscribers there is not one channel
other than the four networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX) that
a majority of subscribers would agree on.
With regard to Comcast now offering four sports HD channels
that Patriot does not offer, CSN, MSG, FSNY and NFL games,
the majority of early HD adopters are sports oriented.
HD subscriptions will probably double in the next 18 months
and again more than 50 percent of the increase will be sports oriented. The new HD owners forking out the big bucks want instant gratification by seeing the games in HD.
Comcast knows that. It is going to be difficult to get
Comcast subscribers to change to Verizon, if Comcast is
providing, CSN Philly HD, YES HD, SNY HD, MSG HD, FSNY HD,
INHD, NBATV HD and the new Versus/Golf HD channel.
Unpatriot does not provide CSN HD, MSG HD, FSNY HD, NBATV HD and NFL HD games. That is five major sports channels!!!
The reason is that you do not want to affect your margins.
You are already charge more than both Comcast and Cablevision!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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icepop456
join:2002-08-27
Somerville, NJ
| Oddly enough, I'm not sure I'm willing to pay for all the extra sports channels you mentioned. I think it is ridiculous that I need a channel for the Yankees, the Mets, philly teams, etc. Who's watching the YES network now? Games that used to be on FSNY are now split on other channels. I call it channel inefficiency (aka a way to charge us more money). They all claim added content, but I really only care about the game.
Add to all this, that I'm 20 min from Rutgers I could not watch last weeks game against SYR. Any local station should have the right to pick up the local game. I believe this exists in the NFL. Obvious this will void the contract of those rich greedy executives who are just trying to make another quick buck.
I therefore don't blame patmedia, but the TV executives around the nation. Don't get me wrong, I hate patmedia too.
The easy solution is pay-per-view with a sports package. However, that may never happen because channels want everyone on a network to get the channel so that they can go charge more for commercials (sounds like double billing). |
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robjlevin
join:2002-10-30
Millington, NJ | The point is that Patriot is charging more and providing less than the other cable companies in the area. |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ
| reply to icepop456
Icepop:
Unfortunately, we are stuck with the system that our lawmakers and appointed regulators have given us. Only the FCC or Congress can change it. Because of vertical integration, (cable multi video providers owning sports channels, in Central New Jersey), there are five regional sports channels whose owners require placement in a tier that 90 percent of subscribers must pay for the channel, whether they want to see it or not. SNY at a cost of $1.75 per month per subscriber is a record price for a baseball only channel. The monthly price of YES and CSN Philly is over $2.00 per month per subscriber. The subscriber fee for MSG and FSNY used to be $3.80 per month. I do not know what it is now without the Mets. There is an additional per month charge for MSG HD and FSNY HD. Did Cablevision
reduce the price of MSG and FSNY after the Mets left? Did
Unpatriot Media pass the reduction on to subscribers?
Unpatriot Media in the SNY imbroglio and failure to provide
CSN Philly and MSG, FSNY HD channels likes to say to its
subscribers, 'well we do not want to give in to Comcast
or Cablevision, because the majority of our subscribers do
not want to pay for those channels'. However, Unpatriot is
putting the subscriber fees in its pocket. Unpatriot is
charging more than Comcast and Cablevision anyway without
providing these channels. Unpatriot is denying 15 percent of its subscriber base the chance to watch the home town
baseball team. Unpatriot is a three year get rich scheme for its investors on the backs of its subscribers.
With the system we have, everybody has to pay for the sports channels. That is not a valid reason to pick and choose and deny access to fans of certain teams. Unpatriot
should be competing and providing access within the current environment. Congress has to change 90 percent of subscribers paying for sports channels. Verizon is going to be forced to compete with Comcast and Cablevision in NJ under the current environment.
Comcast with its new HD sports lineup is going to retain
and atrract new subscribers not only for TV, but high speed
internet and telephone. Verizon is going to quickly learn
that retention of current telephone customers is going to
be dependent on its television channel lineup. Unpatriot or its new ownership is going to learn that its current
sports channel lineup is not competitive to retain or
attract new subscribers for not just television, but
high speed internet and telephone. |
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njcablguy
join:2005-05-06
Somerset, NJ | hound,
you sound like a broken record. stop trolling. you don't like patriot - we get it. |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ | Provide us with CSN Philadelphia HD. The home town baseball team. |
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njcablguy
join:2005-05-06
Somerset, NJ
| "provide us"? i don't work there. it should be pretty obvious to you from reading posts from co people that they are for sale. and that you won't get those channels till maybe the next owners decide to offer it.
so, please. enough already. stop posting the same subscriber numbers over and over and stop complaining. i don't think that complaing about it here matters anyway. |
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dsEAGLES
join:2004-12-29
Princeton, NJ | Hound, you are ok in my book.... it can't be said enough.... Patriot Media should not be allowed in Princeton unless they plan to support us as a Philly market, which we are. |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ
| reply to njcablguy
I hope the potential buyers read these posts. If an investor group is looking to buy, the investor group should
understand the challenges necessary to retain Unpatriot subscribers with Verizon's entry into TV. Also, the buyers should understand that the cable business is no longer just about TV and high speed internet. It is about telephone. There are three potential revenue items from a sub. The buyers should also understand that
Unpatriot's margins are high, because not all sports channels are being provided and the savings of not providing the additional sports channels has not been reflected in lower subscription rates.
Here is an article from yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer
about Verizon's entry into TV and the fact that Comcast
has signed up 1.3 million telephone customers.
»www.philly.com/mld/philly/16149496.htm
Comcast has improved its HD sports lineup in NJ, so that subs do not cross over to Verizon. Comcast with the improved lineup will also end up with increased triple play subscriptions (taking more telephone customers from
Verizon). Verizon will take some subs from Comcast who are indifferent to Comcast's channel lineup, but Comcast
will still end up with a reduced revenue stream from the
Verizon subs because of carriage agreements with Verizon.
The issue facing Unpatriot or its new investors is whether
they walk away from Philadelphia sports fans and other
subs who want channels such as MSG HD, FSNY HD, NFL Network
games HD, NBA TV HD. Comcast made a pre emptive strike by
improving its HD channel lineup on 12/1. |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
 ·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| reply to dsEAGLES
said by dsEAGLES  :Hound, you are ok in my book.... it can't be said enough.... Patriot Media should not be allowed in Princeton unless they plan to support us as a Philly market, which we are. Gee maybe in the next Franchise they can negotiate that, ohh wait you are again franchising oh well. I guess you wouldn't be able to negotiate with Verizon either....queue the venom..
--
Say NO to the "holidays" this Christmas!
What "holiday" season Its Hannukkah!
Happy New Year too... |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ
| Princeton residents are just looking for CSN Philly; local
franchise, statewide franchise, new owner for Unpatriot, Congress changes the terrestrial exception, anyway we can get it. Does not matter who is the service provider. We should not be denied access because a few investors are trying to make millions of dollars at our expense. |
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xcdcxx
join:2004-10-04
Somerset, NJ
| hound were do you work, on the moon? they need to make money or you go back to one way modem.stop being sad they are making money. if investor's are reading this all they will see is one guy is crying he wants he wants. if investor's buy patriot nothing will change. patriot has done nothing but grow there service.
if patriot came out with cell phone service tomorrow people will buy it. if they sold ice cream people would buy it. they turned a failing outdated system. you are nuts crying about a HD channel going out or not having a damn philly channel. if RCN still had your area you would be begging for digital cable or all your channels on one side not half on A side and the other half on B side. |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ
| If they sold ice cream and were the only provider, they would sell a lot of ice cream. If there were two providers,
and they did not have one of the popular flavors, say vanilla, the other provider selling vanilla would sell to
all the vanilla lovers.
Unpatriot did improve the old RCN system bringing digital cable and two way modems. But Cablevision or Comcast would have done the same, charged the subs less and provided CSN Philadelpia, MSG HD, FSNY HD, NBA TV HD and NFL games HD.
Remember, Unpatriot outbid Cablevision for the system. But with the municipal franchise process, Unpatriot could recoup the higher purchase price by charging subs more than
Cablevision subs and providing less costly channels. It really did not matter how much of a premium over Cablevision's offer that Unpatriot paid, because Unpatriot
could make it up in higher subscription rates and lower cost channels.
It was Unpatriot's job to improve on the old RCN system with the new technology. Unpatriot was not the only person
that could have done that job. You keep wanting to get
patted on the back for doing your normal job. Everybody who
has a job is expected to perform at the skill level required for that position.
With regard to wanting one channel, to some subs that one
channel is the number one reason to have a multi video provider. Princeton residents are normally civil. If this situation of not providing the home town baseball channel, but YES network was provided, occurred in New England, there would be public demonstrations at Unpatriot's offices. |
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xcdcxx
join:2004-10-04
Somerset, NJ | again were do you work? i find it hard to believe that they don't want to make money from there customers |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ | self-employed. there are ethical standards and competition in my business. i can't dictate to clients that this is what we offer, take it or leave it. |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| reply to Hound
said by Hound :If they sold ice cream and were the only provider, they would sell a lot of ice cream. Hound,
There arent the only provider, There is Dish, and Direct. |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| reply to Hound
said by Hound :self-employed. there are ethical standards and competition in my business. i can't dictate to clients that this is what we offer, take it or leave it. Maybe you should get a BUD satelitte Dish, that way you could get any channel available on satelitte, THERE PROBLEM solved! |
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Hound
join:2006-03-08
Princeton, NJ
| They are the only provider for CSN Philadelphia. CSN Philly
is not on satellite. This channel is the problem with
Unpatriot as the sole cable provider in Princeton and Montgomery. Without this channel, the Princeton and Montgomery residents are denied access to the hometown baseball team. |
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