Talkback
Readers share their views
-- Multichannel News, 6/16/2008
A Pig By Any Other Name“I think we are being unfair by calling good customers pigs (“Policing the Bandwidth Pigs,” June 9). We do not call our customers who watch a lot of TV pigs. The high-bandwidth users are simply using more of the high-quality, fast, unlimited service that we have sold them than others are. Metered service flies in the face of the simplicity and value message that has always worked well for cable (as it is in the booming cable telephone business). Metered service is provided by utilities to discourage consumption. That doesn't seem to be the game anyone would want to play in the long term.”
Peter Litman Consultant New York Four12@aol.com
It's All About The Service“The characterization of Verizon 'encroaching' in the New York market does not does not go far enough. They will be going in to compete for and win longstanding Time Warner Cable customers. … The real issue spurring people to try an alternative is likely related to a long running history of inadequate customer care throughout the industry. It has been a strategic opportunity that has been marginalized for decades and continues to be overlooked as a means of winning and keeping satisfied customers. TWC offers terrific traditional [cable TV] and advanced broadband offerings. It's the service they offer to customers that negates the benefits of the total experience.”
Steve Bucholz VP, national accounts, Batmann Consulting Parker, Colo.
No Need to Fight the Locals“While [leased-access programmers] have not only been eager to provide 'local content' to cable, even paying for airtime, the cable industry fights us tooth and nail and even now wants to place our locally focused and produced content on the digital tiers where [the National Cable & Telecommunications Association] says cable program networks will face irreparable harm as they are relocated to digital tiers with fewer potential viewers. What's wrong with cable? Why don't they get it? Rather than cooperate with independent local media entrepreneurs and help them develop more and more local news and event coverage, cable today seems to fight harder to put leased access out of business. Makes no sense to me and I'm a former newspaper publisher turned LAPer.”
Charlie Stogner CEO, StogtvPresident, Leased Access Programmers Association Jackson, Miss.
