Verizon quietly drops CurrentTV and Olbermann?

[kpete]

SAT JUN 18, 2011 AT 05:10 AM PDT
Verizon quietly drops CurrentTV and Olbermann

It's odd that Verizon didn't announce the change in their in-system "news" page. I check that daily, because they sometimes have free offers to watch HBO for a week, etc. And it lists channel changes in the VerizonFIOS lineup. Usually the changes involve, say, dropping channels like "Lifetime Fitness", and the news comes about a month before the channel is dropped and a new one added.

But, on Thursday, Verizon dropped CurrentTV, with no announcement, for, at least, subscribers in Massachusetts.

The timing seems interesting, with Keith Olbermann's appearance on Monday.

Perhaps someone from Verizon can illuminate the issue. I'd love to know why this cable change wasn't handled like all the other changes.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/18/986388/-Verizon-quietly-drops-CurrentTV-and-Olbermann?via=siderec

[IndyPragmatist]

1. Probably because they knew some people would freak out

and act as if it were a corporate conspiracy to silence the left.

[scheming daemons]

3. There's strong evidence, given Verizon's history, that it *IS* exactly that

[Little Star]

2. Say What???? n/t

[boston bean]

4. I live in MA and it's still on channel 192.

Maybe you have to subscribe to another tier.

[IndyPragmatist]

6. THe comments on the link seem to back you up

It looks like they just moved it to a higher tier.

[kpete]

8. yep

different tiers

[valerief]

10. If they moved, they did it months ago, because months ago was when

I upgraded so that I could see KO. It wasn't on the first tier in MA months ago.

[tammywammy]

11. It reads like someone that never watched the channel

Just looked and couldn't find it, but it's where it's been all along.

[digitaln3rd]

15. Makes it seem like a money grab for Verizon.

Move the channel to a higher tier right before someone with a big following premiers so everyone that wants to watch have to pay more money.

And people wonder why we hate cable companies.

Hopefully there will be a stream on Justin.tv for Current (or at least a podcast like MSNBC had).

[NYCGirl]

17. What may have happened is that Current asked higher carry

rates of Verizon. They have to pay large salaries now. So Verizon charges more.

[IndyPragmatist]

19. Yeah, it's not always the cable companies being greedy,

In Indianapolis, the local CBS station got into a disagreement over money with Brighthouse (owned by Time Warner). This was in the fall, and CBS carries the Colts, so it was a fairly big deal. The CBS station was running commercials blaming Brighthouse for trying to screw over the local station and the people of Indianapolis. Come to find out, the local CBS station was using the Colts to try and get nearly double the amount that all the other stations were signed for.

[NYCGirl]

22. We had the same thing here with Time Warner and Viacom

another with Fox. You're correct. Sometimes the cable companies get greedy, but sometimes it's the conitent providers.

[Greybnk48]

5. Well, if Time Warner gets cute, they're out of this house

immediately. We got rid of AT&T on principle and we will do the same with TWC if need be. In re to Keith, my DVR is already programmed and I can hardly wait!!

[valerief]

7. I upgraded to the next higher tier a few months ago so that I could watch KO. And I told them

that was why I was upgrading. I wouldn't have upgraded if it had been available on FIOS months ago. I killed my HBO and Showtime at the same time, too, so my monthly cost went down.

I'm in MA. And I just checked. CurrentTV is still channel 192.

[tammywammy]

9. If you go to the Verizon website Current is still listed

http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/FiOSTV/Channels/Channels.htm

Channel 192, it's a tier 2 or 3 option.

[HipChick]

12. It's still there...just on a higher tier..

[NYC_SKP]

13. I'll bet you still have 299 channels of pure CRAP, though, right?

I loath the way cable and satellite work.

I've go no use whatsoever for 68 stations of sports and ESPN, 31 shopping channels, and I don't know what all else.

I wish I could just select about a dozen individual stations at some fixed price per station.

Planet Green
Free Speech
Logo
Current
History
Nat Geo
Discovery
Science

etc., and just lose the rest.

:eyes:

[tammywammy]

14. I really love NatGeo.

It's become one of my favorite channels. :)

[NYC_SKP]

20. Oo yeah! Also the documentary channel, "DOC"...

If you get it.

:hi:

[tammywammy]

23. I wish I got the Smithsonian Channel

A friend is always watching it telling me what's on. It's in another package and I don't want to shell out the money...yet.

[NYCGirl]

18. The problem with that is the lesser watched stations would

end up being dropped. So lots of ESPN, not so much TCM, etc.

[otohara]

16. DISH

is the best alternative.

[madinmaryland]

21. Still on Verizon (Ch 192) here in Maryland. Just checked to make sure.