Free Newsletter Subscription
        MCN All Access

Mediacom Offers Free Basic Cable Until June 12

Pitch To Non-Subscribers Pegged To Digital TV Transition

by Kent Gibbons -- Multichannel News, 2/12/2009 5:16:19 PM

Mediacom Communications is offering non-subscribers in its franchised areas basic cable -- including local broadcast and public-access channels  -- for free until June 12 "to reduce the confusion that consumers may have regarding the broadcast digital transition."

Mediacom won't charge an installation fee for the hookup, it said in a release. It typically charges less than $20 per month for a basic-cable package, which few subscribers buy separately. The basic package typically contains fewer than 20 channels.

Mediacom workersWhen analog-TV broadcast outlets convert to digital, people who don't have cable or satellite TV subscriptions or who haven't obtained a digital-TV converter won't be able to watch those stations on their analog TV sets.

The conversion deadline has been pushed back to June 12 from the original date of Feb. 17, partly because of a backlog in delivery of government-issued $40 coupons intended to offset the cost of acquiring digital-TV converters.

Hundreds of local broadcasters, though, plan to convert on Feb. 17 as originally planned, and others have converted already or will do so before Feb. 17. That could create situations in markets where some or all TV stations won't be viewable on analog sets long before June 12.

Thomas Larsen, Mediacom's vice president of legal and public affairs, said that in Mediacom markets, 124 broadcasters have been given permission to terminate analog service before June 12, and another 44 asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to do so but were told not to do so until the FCC is convinced significant risk of public harm won't occur in those areas.

"These are in major markets for us" where stations are converting before June 12, Larsen said, including Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Springfield, Mo., and Mobile Ala.

Mediacom will "downconvert" the digital transmissions to analog so people taking the service won't need a special antenna or converter.

The Mediacom offer has gotten "a pretty wide response" in local media, especially by local broadcasters, using it as part of their public-education efforts about the transition, Larsen said. The cabler set up a toll-free number to order the free service: 1-800-332-0245.

He said it was too early to tell how many people had called for the service, made this week, but said activity would likely pick up on or after Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Anecdotally, he said he was told one non-subscriber called to order the service because the installation fee was waived.

Other cable and satellite-TV providers have low-cost offers in the marketplace to entice non-subscribers, including Comcast's offer of limited basic for $10 per month for 12 months.

Based in Middletown, N.Y., Mediacom is the eighth-biggest U.S. cable operator with about 1.3 million basic video subscribers.

 

Talkback
Related Content

No related content found.

More >>>

Newbay Business Information Resource Center

Featured Company


Most Recent Resources

Advertisement
More Content
  • Voices
  • Photos
  • Podcasts

Jon Lafayette

Counter Programming

Jon Lafayette
February 15, 2010
Difficult Tales Told By Reporter on HBO
The film Reporter documents several tragedies at once. The first is a story of...
More

Scott Greczkowski

The Satellite Dish

Scott Greczkowski
February 15, 2010
RFD-TV Gets a Stay
As we reported in Fridays edition of “The Satellite Dish” it looked...
More

Satellite Entourage

FREEZE FRAME

Parties, conferences and events for the week of Feb. 8.
DESIGN BY NIGHT

FREEZE FRAME

Parties, conferences and events for the week of Feb. 1.
KEYSTONE HUNT

FREEZE FRAME

Parties, conferences and events for the week of Dec. 14.



Advertisement
About Us   |   Advertising Info   |   Site Map   |   Contact Us   |   Subscription   |   Affiliate Links   |   RSS
© 2011 NewBay Media, LLC. 28 East 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016 T (212) 378-0400 F (212) 378-0470
Use of this website is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy