Time Warner Cable Loses 155,000 TV Customers Supposedly mythical cord cutters not so mythical... Tipped by Linklist 
Time Warner Cable is the latest company to release third quarter earnings, and while profits grew thanks to price increases, the company's earnings highlights that cord cutting is certainly no myth. On the heels of Comcast reporting they lost 275,000 subscribers, Time Warner Cable says they lost 155,000 video subscribers on the quarter, including digital -- which usually sees gains. That's compared to 64,000 losses last year at this time, when the economy was technically considered to be worse (the economy is traditionally the top reason given by cable execs for this new loss trend). On the other hand, Time Warner added 104,000 broadband customers and 34,000 digital voice customers. As for those lost TV customers, like Comcast, Time Warner Cable is apparently content to believe they're not real.
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 | | Slime Warner I don't feel bad about this. | |
|  |  Dude111An Awesome DudePremium
join:2003-08-04
USA
kudos:11 | Neither do i!!
Stupid bastards dont care about thier customers AT ALL!!!!!
Force this stupid NAVIGATOR crap on our BOX's that is complete trash!!!!! (Box is slow as hell)
Im glad people are ditching these idiots!! -- THIER PHONE SERVICE ABSOLUTELY SUCKS!! (Keeps dropping calls,etc)  | |
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| | Cord Cutting I'm cutting the cord to Uverse this month. | |
| | | Keep jacking rates Keep jacking rates twice a year on video services and see what happens. Now you know. I dropped my cable video service and watch digital ota for free. I couldn't see paying $60.00 a month for tv when I watch the ota network stations 95 percent of the time anyway. There simply isn't anything on cable worth watching anymore. At least not anything worth what they are charging for it. I'll keep my cable internet for $30.00 a month and watch Netflix and other outlets for a lot less money and on my time. | |
|  JonPremium
join:2001-01-20
Lisle, IL | After years of abusing your customers... the time has come to pay the piper, cable cos. | |
| |  Camelot OnePremium,MVM
join:2001-11-21
Greenwood, IN
kudos:1 | Re: After years of abusing your customers... said by Jon:the time has come to pay the piper, cable cos. I don't think it's just the Cable companies to blame, though their prices and horrible customer service certainly aren't helping. I know several people who have decided to cancel their cable due to the content issue. They don't think 15 versions of CSI and 9 of Law and Order are worth the price they were paying. If there was more creative stuff to watch, they might still be paying for service, even being overpriced. | |
| | | MadtownPremium
join:2008-04-26
Madera, CA | Re: After years of abusing your customers... said by Camelot One:said by Jon:the time has come to pay the piper, cable cos. I don't think it's just the Cable companies to blame, though their prices and horrible customer service certainly aren't helping. I know several people who have decided to cancel their cable due to the content issue. They don't think 15 versions of CSI and 9 of Law and Order are worth the price they were paying. If there was more creative stuff to watch, they might still be paying for service, even being overpriced. There are people who will pay overprice for their favorite contents, but if they are force to pay over price for contents they don't care for, they'll drop the service and move on with another provider. | |
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| Camelot OnePremium,MVM
join:2001-11-21
Greenwood, IN
kudos:1 | said by Jon:the time has come to pay the piper, cable cos. But they aren't. In fact their net profit for the same quarter was UP, even above all predictions. Obviously that profit comes from screwing their remaining customers more, so it may not last, but for now they are doing just fine. | |
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| | Fios effect How many switched to fios? I wouldn't attribute the full 155k to cord cutters. | |
| |  baineschile2600 ways to livePremium
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI
 ·Comcast
| Re: Fios effect Arent you a member of this site? If someone leaves a video provider, 100% of the time its because they are cutting the cord, and moving to a broadband only video delivery system. NEVER has it ever happened where other companies (UVerse, Fios, other cable co's, sattelite) churn subscribers. | |
| | | shark2k
join:2008-06-01
West Orange, NJ | Re: Fios effect said by baineschile:Arent you a member of this site? If someone leaves a video provider, 100% of the time its because they are cutting the cord, and moving to a broadband only video delivery system. NEVER has it ever happened where other companies (UVerse, Fios, other cable co's, sattelite) churn subscribers. That's not true at all. Plenty of people leave one provider and go to another because they get a better price and/or more content than they are receiving. If you are a member of this site, you should know that.
-Shark2k | |
| | | | | | Re: Fios effect One huge problem with that. If its churn then you would see the numbers at other cable co's going up. What you see is an across the board loss for all cable providers. | |
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|  maartenaElmoPremium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
kudos:1 | said by fifty nine:How many switched to fios? I wouldn't attribute the full 155k to cord cutters. Is satellite considered cutting the cord? The only cords left are those from my dish to my receivers.  I switched from TWC to DirecTV
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" | |
| | | | | Re: Fios effect said by maartena:said by fifty nine:How many switched to fios? I wouldn't attribute the full 155k to cord cutters. Is satellite considered cutting the cord? The only cords left are those from my dish to my receivers. I switched from TWC to DirecTV Nah, not in the slightest. The "cord" is your TV provider bill. | |
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|  antdudeA Ninja AntPremium,VIP
join:2001-03-25
United State
kudos:4
·RoadRunner Cable
| said by fifty nine:How many switched to fios? I wouldn't attribute the full 155k to cord cutters. I wished I could get FIOS. Verizon and FIOS in my city, but not in my neighborhood.  | |
| | | | Just those who can get it.. there's a 25 megabit (did I mention SYMMETRICAL?) triple play package for pre-wired fios customers which makes your total bottom line price under $99 a month! Look into it.. NYC customers! | |
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 TomekPremium
join:2002-01-30
Valley Stream, NY | Price Hikes and alternatives due to retransmission problems I think people started realizing that you can view lots of content for free online (hulu, channel main pages) and constant price hikes offer no new content, while retransmission negotiations can leave you in the dark. Then retransmission fees puzzle lots of people because same channels are free OTA.
I am waiting for a-la-carte(sp?) model supplementing my HD antenna.
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Semper Fi | |
| |  HallPremium,MVM
join:2000-04-28
Dayton, OH
kudos:2 | Re: Price Hikes and alternatives due to retransmission problems said by Tomek:I think people started realizing that you can view lots of content for free online... I think a lot of people over-estimate the number of people who watch TV on a computer. Yeah, I know you can use some set-tops to access content, but how common do you think those are ? | |
| | antdudeA Ninja AntPremium,VIP
join:2001-03-25
United State
kudos:4 Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
| said by Tomek:I think people started realizing that you can view lots of content for free online (hulu, channel main pages) and constant price hikes offer no new content, while retransmission negotiations can leave you in the dark. Then retransmission fees puzzle lots of people because same channels are free OTA. I am waiting for a-la-carte(sp?) model supplementing my HD antenna. Yeah, but not everything is online for free and legally like MythBusters, Syfy shows, etc. | |
| | | TomekPremium
join:2002-01-30
Valley Stream, NY | Re: Price Hikes and alternatives due to retransmission problems I watch my Syfy shows on hulu.
The number is not large but is growing, word of mouth is spreading quickly.
But then, quality of shows just sucks, there is nothing to watch
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Semper Fi | |
| | | | antdudeA Ninja AntPremium,VIP
join:2001-03-25
United State
kudos:4 Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: Price Hikes and alternatives due to retransmission problems said by Tomek:I watch my Syfy shows on hulu. The number is not large but is growing, word of mouth is spreading quickly. But then, quality of shows just sucks, there is nothing to watch Wait, Syfy added its shows there? Wow. I didn't know that. I didn't see Caprica (before I dropped it) there. | |
| | | | | TomekPremium
join:2002-01-30
Valley Stream, NY | Re: Price Hikes and alternatives due to retransmission problems Good reminder, I forgot to watch recent episodes
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Semper Fi | |
| | | | | | antdudeA Ninja AntPremium,VIP
join:2001-03-25
United State
kudos:4 Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: Price Hikes and alternatives due to retransmission problems said by Tomek:Good reminder, I forgot to watch recent episodes I assume you know that series got canceled.  | |
| | | | | | | TomekPremium
join:2002-01-30
Valley Stream, NY | Re: Price Hikes and alternatives due to retransmission problems What?! | |
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| |  LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5 |  Re: Magic Number has been reached!
said by Mr Matt: Cable Television subscribers have learned that CATV is not a necessity. Prices have reached the point (magic number) where customers are saying, what the character Howard Beale said in the move Network, 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' a threshold has been reached where customers are beginning to discontinue service because they cannot afford to pay the continually escalating prices. In other words Time Warner Cable has out priced themselves. I agree with part of what you say. Prices have risen too much. People are mad as hell. And they are finding ways to cut down their cable bills.
I don't agree that the main reason is they can't afford it. I think the main reason they are cutting their bill is that they feel they aren't getting what they are paying for(i.e. they are being taken advantage of) and they have found ways to get what they want for their money elsewhere.
For me, I cut down my cable bill by $55/mo by cutting all the Premium channels. It wasn't because I couldn't afford it. It was because I think Comcast & Hollyweird were ripping me off and I found other more cost effective ways to get what I wanted(Netflix in my case). | |
| | | BlueC
join:2009-11-26
Minneapolis, MN | Re: Magic Number has been reached! Agreed. I had HBO through DirecTV a long time ago, realized I wasn't getting much for the $13-14/mo that it added onto my monthly bill, and dropped it.
Actually, the biggest reason why I dropped it, DirecTV only had two HBO channels in HD. When I asked how long it'd be before they add more HD channels, their answer was basically "We see no reason at this time to increase the amount of channels offered in HD". "Ok, fair enough, I'll just decrease what I give you guys on a monthly basis going forward" was my answer.
I think I'm down to just the basic package and regular HD package.
It's all about value. | |
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| | A dying business Get ready for a big "WTF" TW. I cut mine two years ago, I download what i need the rest is crap anyway. I think the Cable carries will at some point in the near future be forced to start Ala cart pricing.
Remember if you can view it you can record it, if you can record it you can upload it, if you can upload it you can download it. P2P4EVR. | |
| Emiya
join:2006-03-30
Southington, OH | Didn't cut the cord, just switched to another I dropped TWC for TV a while ago because DirectTV can offer me the 1 channel TWC said I'd never get again in NE Ohio, Fox Sport Pittsburgh. Over a decade ago when Fox Sport Ohio began broadcasting, the local TWC switched from the already existing FNS-P to FSN-O. I live fairly close to the PA border and about equal distance between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. I was told by the local office that they were not allowed to broadcast FSN-P in the area.
DirectTV, however, can offer me FSN-P but only on their highest tier. I'm happy to shell out the massive upcharge during hockey season, proving where there's competition capitalism still works. | |
| | | | Re: Didn't cut the cord, just switched to another said by Emiya:I dropped TWC for TV a while ago because DirectTV can offer me the 1 channel TWC said I'd never get again in NE Ohio, Fox Sport Pittsburgh. Over a decade ago when Fox Sport Ohio began broadcasting, the local TWC switched from the already existing FNS-P to FSN-O. I live fairly close to the PA border and about equal distance between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. I was told by the local office that they were not allowed to broadcast FSN-P in the area. DirectTV, however, can offer me FSN-P but only on their highest tier. I'm happy to shell out the massive upcharge during hockey season, proving where there's competition capitalism still works. you don't need the highest tier just sports pack + choice extra. | |
| | | Emiya
join:2006-03-30
Southington, OH | Re: Didn't cut the cord, just switched to another Interesting, I swear 3-4 years ago when I signed up it was only the top tier. Thanks for the tip man! | |
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| Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA | said by Emiya:I was told by the local office that they were not allowed to broadcast FSN-P in the area. So TWC just flat out lied to you. You mentioned Hockey and you are definitely in Penguins territory as much or more than Columbus Blue Jackets territory. The only reason TWC can't put FSN Pittsburgh on in your area is because they're not willing to pay for it and they still keep increasing their rates. | |
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| | Another (kinda) cord cutter here. We were spending close to $200 a month for cable and internet services through TWC. There is a very real possibility that I will be unemployed by the end of this month, and as of the first of the year, my wife may also be unemployed. Any savings off that is big for our budget.
We previously had the basic digital package, 1 HD DVR, and the 7Mbps internet connection. We did not watch the 'on demand' movies, and the only reason we got digital in the first place was that you HAVE to have digital in order to get ANY HD channels.
I cut us back to the 768/356 internet package, dropped digital cable altogether, returned the HD-DVR, and my bill dropped to $94 a month. I wanted to drop it further, but all the channels we actually watch are part of the 'extended basic' cable package. We do not watch much OTA television (CSI's and Football games are it), and live in an area where I would have to mount a large antenna on a very high pole in order to get OTA TV anyway (requested permission from the condo HOA to do so, and was denied.).
There are no other choices here other than DirecTV, and I would have to give up my upstairs balcony in order to have a dish installed here (again, HOA rules - You are not allowed to have a dish installed on any of the common ground outside parts of the building. It must be installed on your deck or patio area, and can not extend outside that space.).
My parents had basic Comcast and was able to get HD. Why not TWC?
TWC needs competition in areas to be willing to bring their prices better in line with peoples budgets or there will be MANY other people cutting down services or dropping them altogether!! | |
| | flbas1
join:2010-02-03
Fort Lauderdale, FL | Re: Another (kinda) cord cutter here. »www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html
didn't read the entire site, but i think it might help you.\
basically, your HOA doesn't have the right to limit your tv access. | |
| | | | | Re: Another (kinda) cord cutter here. True, but they do have the right to limit the use of common areas. So, if you're in a condo building, you're free to put a dish on your private balcony, but you do not have the "right" to put it up on the roof (a common area).
If your HOA is for a housing development and you have your own house, then you can put the dish wherever you want; the HOA cannot limit dish installs on your own house.
Here's the relevant section from the link you provided:
The rule does not apply to common areas that are owned by a landlord, a community association, or jointly by condominium or cooperative owners where the antenna user does not have an exclusive use area. Such common areas may include the roof or exterior wall of a multiple dwelling unit. Therefore, restrictions on antennas installed in or on such common areas are enforceable. | |
| | | | | | Re: Another (kinda) cord cutter here. Goillini has my situation nailed.
I live in a condo building, where the entire outside of the building is considered a common area. If I choose to get a dish, it can not be attached to the building in any way, shape or form. It has to be "mounted" on a platform set on my upstairs balcony. I cant even have it mounted to the railing of my balcony. Hell, I wouldnt even be allowed to secure the platform to the deck area of my porch, unless I use rope, and even then it can not be visible to anyone walking past on the ground.
Now, if only AT&T would put U-verse in here (its available all around us, but not in our development) or TWC would get some sort of cable competition, then we'd switch in a heart beat!! | |
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| | Folks you are forgetting some stuff Unemployement is at 9%+ and you have a ton of foreclosure that happened and million still in pipeline. The pie of potention video customers has shrunk while people wanting a piece of the pie has increased with ATT and Verizon jumping into the pie eating contest. Cord cutting due to online video is happening but not nearly as bad as some of you folks think. | |
| | | Dropped digital cable too. One of the missing in action after crossing into $100 range and constant freezing on CNBC channel during day. Gave them the box in person after they said it would be 2 weeks (still billing during that) until a pickup at home.
Felt so good to have that beast out of my life. Next will be roadrunner itslf when FIOS or better appears on west side of midtown Manhattan.
Only really needed 2-13 anyway (NY1 is 10). Ripoff in Peace. | |
| | | What's bigger your laptop or your HDTV? I wonder how many people are like me and have noticed that their laptop on their coffee table three feet away offers a bigger viewing experience than their 40inch HDTV 12 feet away? | |
| | | | Re: What's bigger your laptop or your HDTV? said by mexicali100:... offers a bigger viewing experience than their 40inch HDTV 12 feet away? A 40 inch HDTV should not be 12 feet away. At that distance you should be in the 60"+ range | |
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 JohnILMHollaPremium
join:2003-03-15
Tuckahoe, NY | Maybe it will cause a change, but I doubt it. You would think service providers would wise up and realize that what they are offering isn't worth the money. Besides people "switching" there are two main reasons why people are dropping their provider: it's too expensive or it's not worth the price. Television content providers are becoming more of a hassle than they are worth. It used to be getting content from the internet was more of a hassle than it was worth. But with things like Roku, Apple TV, and the forthcoming GoogleTV, it will be easier and easier to find cheap (if not free) content from the internet.
Will the providers change their model?? Nope. Unfortunately, they'll just raise the rates to recoup the monies they've lost. It's terrible that you can lose 155,000 customers and still have profits grow. These companies are so taking advantage of people.
I really don't understand how human people can be in charge of these companies. It's like as soon as you become a CEO/COO/President or whatever, you completely lose all morals and attachments to the human race. It all becomes bottom lines and golden parachutes.
It's nice that there are laws in place to stop monopolies (sarcasm), since either a provider is the "only game in town" ... or if you have the option of using FiOS, cable, or satellite, they work together to make sure the rates don't get too low. They "hate" each other, but they have a wink-wink relationship that basically works as a monopoly. The same way oil companies work.
It seems if a brand new company came out with the ability to provide the same exact service as FiOS or Time Warner or Direct TV or whoever for a quarter of the price and still make as much in profit, they'd decide to charge 99% of the competition just to say they are cheaper.
It's a case of the haves and the have-nots. Once they have something, they want to squeeze as much as they can out of the have-nots. | |
| | Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·AT&T Midwest
 ·voip.ms
| Re: Maybe it will cause a change, but I doubt it. said by JohnILM:there are two main reasons why people are dropping their provider: it's too expensive or it's not worth the price. Television content providers are becoming more of a hassle than they are worth. It used to be getting content from the internet was more of a hassle than it was worth. But with things like Roku, Apple TV, and the forthcoming GoogleTV, it will be easier and easier to find cheap (if not free) content from the internet. Yep. We had "standard" cable from 2001-2003. In 2001 it was $40 a month, taxes included, but was up to almost $50 when we downgraded in 2003.
In 2003 our price for "basic" (locals in Clear QAM plus a few NTSC cable channels) was $13 and has gone up 10-15% every year. Starting next month, it's almost $19.65. Not including taxes and franchise fees.
Starting in about a week, they're removing Bravo, which is the only cable channel my wife watches anymore.
I put an antenna in the attic last night. Works great. Adios, Time Warner.
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USNG:
16TDN2870
Find your USNG coordinates:
USNGWeb | |
| | | | "I really don't understand how human people can be in charge of these companies. It's like as soon as you become a CEO/COO/President or whatever, you completely lose all morals and attachments to the human race. It all becomes bottom lines and golden parachutes"
They fit the physical definition of human but they are not human.
If you check into the people who run these places you will easily find the common thread. Might take a day or two. | |
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 ds5v50
join:2003-01-22
Fremont, OH | Serves em right.. As soon as Uverse is available I'm jumping ship.. They have drug there heels for too long here in Woh. | |
| | | | Re: Serves em right.. said by ds5v50:As soon as Uverse is available I'm jumping ship.. They have drug there heels for too long here in Woh. My point exactly. You're simply switching providers. I'd wager that at least half of TWC's subscriber churn are either people switching providers or moving and very few are participating in some sort of online video revolution. | |
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| | competition As we see with many posts here, cord cutting may not be real but the lure of alternative service providers be they satellite or telco
sure is.
Long live competition! | |
| | | i know why dont they increase the price some more......HAHA | |
| Reviews:
·Charter
| Hey TW.... Here's a tip to stop cord cutting...
A la carte programming.
Locally I have Charter. For ANALOG BASIC cable they charge 54.99 a month. I watched a total of THREE of the 68 channels offered. The rest I had NO USE FOR.
When companies like this stop charging us for channels that suck I'd consider getting cable again because I WILL NOT PAY FOR CRAP I DON'T USE. And if those channels are worried about going under then BE A CHANNEL PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO WATCH.
Until that happens I have no need for cable. I do have Netflix but I don't really use it but a few times a month anyway - it's not the replacement for cable because there was nothing to replace in the first place. | |
| | | | | | Re: Hey TW.... said by megarock:Here's a tip to stop cord cutting... A la carte programming. Here's a tip about a la carte programming...
The CABLE COMPANIES that are losing subscribers DO NOT control the channels they can offer to you. In their agreements with Fox, Disney, NBC Universal, etc, etc, they agree to pay a fee per subscriber for all channels that these companies offer. Or else, they don't get to carry the most popular channels. They don't want to carry Disney XD? Fine, they can't carry the real Disney Channel. Don't want to carry ESPN Desportes? Fine, they can't have the real ESPN either.
The CONTENT PROVIDERS are the ones holding up a la carte. They want the cable company, and thus you, to pay for EVERY CHANNEL they offer. So even if the cable company offered an a la carte, they'd still have to charge you for the channels you aren't getting, because that was their agreement with the content providers. If they don't agree to that, there is no content for them to provide. | |
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LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5 | AP notices cord cutting issue
By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer
Cable companies have been losing TV subscribers at an ever faster rate in the last few months, and satellite TV isn't picking up the slack. That could be a sign that Internet TV services such as Netflix and Hulu are finally starting to entice people to cancel cable...
If "cord-cutting" in favor of Internet video is finally taking hold, that has wide-ranging implications. The move could have the same disruptive effect on the TV and movie industries as digital downloads have already had on music.
Cable companies would like to get low-income customers back with cheaper cable packages, but their hands are tied. Content providers such as The Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. won't license their channels one by one, so subscribers have to take big, expensive channel packages, or very basic ones, which offer little beyond what's available with an antenna.
Six companies create the content that consumes 85 percent of U.S. viewing hours, Moffett said. "Until they get on board, the train's not leaving the station." | |
| | | WAKE UP!!! how many folks are un-employed?
how many are seeing constrained incomes?
how many are realistic about their incomes and needs?
TV should not be more than $40/mth. $60/$80/$140 !!!! And then fees for boxes! Adds up...PPV, Showtimes, HBO, etc... x 12 months...that is alot of money wasted.
Folks I know are seeing taxes, utilities, fuel, insurance rates all going up but not income. So, cut the fat... | |
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Magic Number has been reached!
