Comcast moves KO to the nether world

[OxQQme]

from blueoregon: http://www.blueoregon.com/2007/11/msnbc-100-comca.html

<snip>
So, last Tuesday, mere hours before the presidential debate, MSNBC disappeared from basic cable on the Comcast system in Portland. I waited on hold, forever, to find out what happened - and then posted a rant here at BlueOregon. After all, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann is just about the only progressive voice on cable news.

For example, check out Olbermann's "Special Comment" tonight regarding torture, the Mukasey nomination, and George W. Bush. It's powerful stuff.

As I wrote last week:

Please, oh please, tell me that this isn't Comcast turning out the lights on the only cable news channel that even bothers to air one progressive voice. If it really is MSNBC's call, that sucks, but OK. But not if it's Comcast's decision.

And now we know. Over the weekend, I got an official statement from NBC's corporate headquarters. An MSNBC spokesperson (who asked to be otherwise anonymous) wrote me this:

The decision to move MSNBC from its existing channel in Portland, Oregon was 100% Comcast's decision. MSNBC reaches more than 91 million U.S. homes and leads the industry in political news coverage. We believe it should be offered in every basic cable package.

This is outrageous. The cable news lineup in Portland is now: CNN, CNN Headline, CNBC, Weather Channel, FOX News, NW Cable News. Seriously. Weather.


see also:
http://www.oregonlive.com/living/oregonian/peter_carlin/index.ssf?/base/living/1194051346154430.xml&coll=7

[valerief]

1. Good reason to unload Comcast and get DirectTV. nt

[Warpy]

4. Seconded.

it's cheaper and more reliable and the people are a breeze to deal with.

[EST]

2. Abandon cable and get satellite, either dish or direct.

For sixty bucks a month, you can get pretty much everything, more upper channel crap than you want.
Less than about thirty or so, gets a pretty good selection.

[Lint Head]

3. The true voices of freedom are slowly being quietened.

That is what fascism does. The old high school political science analogy of boiling a frog slowly in a pot of water so he want jump out is exactly what is happening. As for me, this frog is ready to jump out now. This fascist bullshit has to stop. The first thing is impeachment now. The next thing is to boycott and shout down anyone or any organization that is promoting this fascism by their support and actions. We have to save our precious country and Constitution. :dem:

[Mutineer]

5. No dear, when Fascisim is involved, the state makes those kinds of decisions

and you get no news at all. No one is shutting down Olbermann's show or the network or any news network. This was a corporate decision made by Comcast, probably based on MSNBC's poor overall ratings. It's still available on my local basis package and if you're willing to ante up the extra bucks, plenty of you could still get MSNBC on the digital preferred package. It's all about the $$$$.

[aquart]

9. Poor ratings move it to a higher bracket?

Because people will pay more for something no one wants to see?

Well, that certainly makes sense.

[Generator]

6. I ranted about this the day it happened

Yes, the leave cable news headlines-but not MSNBC. Fox news stays. I hate Comcast. And they are price gougers. Always have been.

[nosmokes]

7. get dishtv Direct is owned by Rupert Murdoch

I've had DishTV for years and no complaints.

[Bitwit1234]

8. If people would drop Comcast and get satallite maybe they would move it back

The government gives these cable companies all these breaks to improve broadband etc and they do this. Can't enough people sue.

[Rick Myers]

10. Here in Minneapolis Comcast has NOT made the move, YET!!!

:grr:

[lonestarnot]

11. FUCK YOU COMCAST!

[upi402]

12. That sucks, and Portland is pretty liberal.

And with many trees, satellite is dodgey at best.