COMCAST DROPS FOX NEWS FROM BASIC CABLE

Stonenots

[Stonenots]

Comcast changes channel line-up March 1.

[UB355]

Where I am (WI) Fox is not included in the very basic 50 channel package. To get foxnews you need to subscribe to the 100 channel group.. Picture blows Time Warner Cable away.

[mercy]

This is like telling you poor conservatives trapped in the evil NE you ought to move to The South. Ya never listen.

Get the satelite. You're silly to stick with cable for a lot of reasons.

[John W]

We are Dish customers,had Dish 500.Called February 12th to upgrade to SuperDish and three additional receivers.Had it all installed free by end of the day February 18th.In Northern Indiana.Did it all through Dish at their toll free number.

[moonhawk]

Fox is not in the Basic package with Dishnet.

[awakened]

I'm pretty much of a "newbie" and I have no idea what you mean by ZOT by I don't think I've gotten it. I gather it's something negative -- which is also something I haven't gotten. Someone help with translation please?

[EggsAckley]

Ah, so maybe I WAS right!? It just didn't sit right with me.

Signs of trolls (lately)
* first-post vanities
* no links to source
* no response to posts
* slightly contentious topics.

Can't think of anymore right now.

[Quix]

tHE IDIOTS OR TRAITORS.

SOUNDS LIKE they are asking to be snowed--well deserved--with emails.

Let the snowbound condition begin!

[Quix]

That's even a better option.

[onyx]

Zot = banning procedure --- like lightning -- zot, poster is gone.

[bmwcyle]

USED SINCE 1998 AND I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO CABLE -- CLICK HERE

[Quix]

I agree. We've been enjoying Direct-TV for more than a year though I think their pricing of ed channels is excessive. I like Discovery channels mostly most of the time . . . along with Fox and SciFi.

However, I do suspect that when the Volcanic ash stuff gets going in the atmosphere as it will . . . sooner than I'd like, for sure . . . then cable may be the only viable option before even that infrastructure breaks down.

Of course, when Christians will be delivered from all such travails may be another potential factor in the equations.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Pings

Glenn back is always whining about comcast.

[FrankR]

"That's because FOX is in such demand. It's a way the cable company can make more money. They'll get it, too."

Exactly my take on this...taking it out of their "basic" cable, they can make a fortune from subscribers.

Follow the money.....................

Of course it sounded like the DU throwback was trying to say Comcast was dropping FOX for other reasons...but we know better.

[johnb838]

Heck, until I moved where I am now I couldn't get FNC on ANY package. Does (CNN) Warner Cable offer it yet?

[sauropod]

I have satellite tv. GAve comcast the heave-ho a little over a year ago.

Best damn thing i ever did.

XM is a big 'RAT supporter. You might want to reconsider that.

[Uncle Fud]

"Fox news has lost its charm"

Heck yeah. My total cable news watching now consists of Brit Hume. And if I ever hear him mention the names "Kobe Bryant" or "Scott Peterson" he's history too.

[bondjamesbond]

Ancient Chinese Wisdom: Believe not the newbie with sign-up date of today when he presents unverifiable information and no link......

[EggsAckley]

Good advice, Mr. bond

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Union challenges Comcast CEO

CWA gets SEC approval for shareholder vote on Roberts family control of 1/3 of voting shares.
February 23, 2004: 7:02 AM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A union challenge to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts' control over the voting shares of the company will be subject to a vote of shareholders under a decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a published report.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported over the weekend that the Communications Workers of America has won a position on the company's proxy statement on whether Roberts and his family should continue to have about one-third of the voting shares of the nation's largest cable company despite holding only about 1 percent of shares outstanding.

The widely-traded class A shares of Comcast, which the company has proposed using to buy Walt Disney Co., have only one-fifth of a vote for each share, while the class B shares controlled by the Roberts family, have five votes each. The union is proposing both kinds of shares get one vote each.

"This issue is especially important in light of Comcast's ongoing effort to take over the Walt Disney Co.," said a statement from CWA president Morton Bahr in the paper. "Roberts would continue to control one-third of the voting power of what would be one of the world's most powerful media conglomerates."

The Disney board turned down the Comcast proposal for an all-stock acquisition, though it said it was open to considering a bid at a different price.

Comcast had previously rejected the CWA's shareholder vote proposal, but the SEC said that the company's reason for excluding the CWA proposal from Comcast's proxy was invalid, according to the Inquirer.

A Comcast spokesman, Tim Fitzpatrick, told the paper that Comcast's current governance structure was approved by more than 99 percent of AT&T shareholders when they voted on it in 2002 after Comcast successfully bid to buy AT&T's cable division. Those AT&T shareholders received Comcast class A shares in their stake in AT&T's cable operations. He would not say whether the CWA shareholder proposal will make it onto the company's 2004 proxy.  

ö

Convergence on a comeback

CIBC World Markets analyst Dvai Ghose says in a research report that content is a key differentiator for U.S. cable and satellite TV operators. By contrast, in Canada, where domestic content laws prevail, cable, satellite and other carriers all show much the same fare.

The costs of some desirable U.S. programming, such as Disney's ESPN sports channel, is spiralling upward, the analyst says, creating more incentive for distributors to own their own content sources.

Comcast is also defending itself from competitive pressures, mainly the move by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., which controls the Fox network and a raft of U.S. media assets, to buy control of U.S. satellite monster DirecTV. According to Mr. Eiley, every major U.S. distributor has to look at its options in the wake of that deal.

Rival satellite operator EchoStar is looking for a partner, and is said to be talking to Viacom Inc., whose assets include the CBS network and the MTV music video franchise.

[ASA Vet]

I agree, if newbie's are zotted just for being newbie's the rest of us newbie's might be afraid to say anything.