WHY IS COMCAST CHANGING TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES TO SPORTS PACKAGE IN OCTOBER?

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@ComcastAlly wrote:
 We regularly review our programming and sometimes make changes to ensure we're offering a wide variety of programming at the best value. We look at a variety of factors, including customer viewership and programming costs when making these decisions. Viewership of TCM is low, as over 90% of our customers watch less than two movies per month. Given this and contractual limitations on offering TCM a la carte, we decided to move TCM to the Sports Entertainment Package, which will help us manage programming costs that are passed on to our customers while continuing to make the channel available to those who want to watch it.

Something just occurred to me, although I've known it all along.

 

Since when does Comcast care about what the customers prefer or managing costs?

 

They change channel line-ups on a whim, often with no notice, and charge as much as they think they can get away with.  They do whatever provides more profit for THEM.

 

When asked for feedback, I tell them the same thing every time, but I've seen no improvement.  I get a wide variety of programming, but it's not the "best value".

An economics teacher taught me that a bargain is not a bargain if the purchase is something you neither want nor need.

BIG mistake by Comcast on moving TCM to some redundant sports package which we don't need.  You are upsetting thousands of people Comcast.  Wake up.  We now have alternatives and you are giving us excuses to leave.  WAKE UP!  Leave TCM alone.

I agree with everything in your post.  Unfortunately, most Comcast subscribers won't pay attention until TCM disappears  in October.  I am fed up with Comcast and its fake concern about customers.  This type of thing has gone on for years.  The only thing Comcast is good for is increasing your bill constantly and coming up with additional charges.  And then they supposedly wonder why clients are leaving at a concerning rate--at least for them.  I REPEAT TO COMCAST:  Leave TCM alone.  This is one of the many less than intelligent things you have ever done.  LEAVE TCM ALONE!

I doubt TCM will be left where it has been.  People always threaten to leave but don't. Why?Not built out enough and Verizon won't be building out further.

You are correct A_S_.  There seem to be a few big corporations which now "own everything and everybody" and

they want things their way.  A Comcast agent told me that they were trying a new format that gives customers more

individual choice in their channel packages, but only in certain parts of the country.  Who knows how it works or if it will

become permanent all over?  I'm sure they will keep it only if it's profitable and not too inconvenient for them.  Not holding my breath.

I could get both internet and tv from AT & T in my area, but I don't really want to do that either.  I might keep my internet with Comcast

(unless they irritate me even more) and change my television provider.  I'd have to pay 2 separate bills, but at least I wouldn't lose tv and

internet every time Comcast has a problem or an outage and they tell me to "check the Xfinity website for updates".  Duh.  I can't do that

if I have no internet.

I had Cox cable when I lived in another city and don't recall having all these recurring issues.  I am finally living in a situation which will

allow me to install an antenna, and I'm ready to invest in my own equipment so I can stop leasing.  There are other options now. 

Having a single bill isn't enough to convince me to stay after my contract expires.  

It's my opinion that this whole 'nobody watched TCM enough' comcast  'explanation' for moving it to the (UGGHHH) sports/entertainment pkg is nothing more than a huge load of 'manure'. 

Personally I think that's exactly why they're moving it - BECAUSE IT'S REALLY ONE OF THEIR MOST POPULAR CHANNELS AND THY'VE FIGURED OUT YET ANOTHER WAY TO SOAK US FINANCIALLY.  

Congrats Comcast - you win - I'll pay - because for me TCM is THE BEST YOU HAVE TO OFFER - AND I HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO GET IT!!!!!!

Hello All! The cost of programming generally continues to rise - in fact, our programming costs have more than doubled since 2006 - which can affect your bill. We absorb a large portion of these cost increases and are doing our best to manage them while still giving you the best value we can. While this change won’t cause the prices to go down on existing packages, it will help reduce the speed at which they go up. We have passed along everyones feedback regarding this as well.

We appreciate and value you all for choosing Comcast as your service provider. We can't thank you enough for your loyalty and we hope to continue our relationship with all of you for many years to come.

Thank you for reaching out to our Forums!

So what your saying is that TCM is a popular channel and by taking it away from where it's at and adding it to the Sports and Entertainment PKG you can generate more income for Comcast because you know the consumer will have to purchase the PKG giving the consumer basiclly nothing they want other than TCM where they were already getting it, there are plenty of more unpopular channels to move to a extra pay PKG, but you know no one will pay extra for that, good bye comcast

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@Comcast_Support wrote:

Hello All! The cost of programming generally continues to rise - in fact, our programming costs have more than doubled since 2006 - which can affect your bill. We absorb a large portion of these cost increases and are doing our best to manage them while still giving you the best value we can. While this change won’t cause the prices to go down on existing packages, it will help reduce the speed at which they go up. We have passed along everyones feedback regarding this as well.

 

We appreciate and value you all for choosing Comcast as your service provider. We can't thank you enough for your loyalty and we hope to continue our relationship with all of you for many years to come.

 

Thank you for reaching out to our Forums!

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I'm not convinced.  Every employee who posts on this issue gives a different reason for why TCM is being moved and I don't believe you really appreciate or value customer loyalty.  Do long-term customers receive any reward or benefit for their years of subscription?  NO!  All they get is higher prices.  What you value is our MONEY, and perhaps your political agenda.  Everyone says they will pass along our feedback, but no one does anything about it.  It's all TALK.  If by "programming costs" you are you referring to all the extra channels customers get that they don't watch, there's a way to fix that.  Break up the huge tiers and let people choose what they want instead of uselessly broadcasting channels to customers who don't watch them.  And stop messing around with the tiers that customers already signed up for, thinking they were getting one thing, only to be stuck with something else because you suddenly "changed your mind" or made a better deal.

Besides, in spite of your complaints about costs, I don't see Comcast's profits suffering.  I haven't heard of any massive layoffs.  You guys still own multiple other companies and seem to be always trying to buy more.  You want it all.

I have been a Comcast subscriber for years, but since I recently moved, nobody knows it.  Now, I'm a new account.  I won't go into my picture/transmission and equipment problems, but I feel that, for the amount I pay, the product and service should be excellent.  I shouldn't have to call CS all the time.  Wait until more customers get as fed up as I am.  No sympathy here.

Your answer does not provide justification for moving TCM to a sports package this month.  Your subscribers don't want it.   What a mistake you are making.

Yes, why is Comcast moving TCM to the sports package.  What does TCM have to do with Sports?

@Comcast_Support wrote:

We appreciate and value you all for choosing Comcast as your service provider. We can't thank you enough for your loyalty and we hope to continue our relationship with all of you for many years to come.

 

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Give me a break!  You guys don't "thank us for our loyalty" at all.  Loyal customers get nothing but changing channels and rate increases year after year.  I'm tired of listening to the script.  Talk is cheap when there's nothing to back it up.

TCM has NOTHING to do with sports and Comcast knows it.  They're trying to make you think it does by calling the package "Sports and Entertainment".  Based on the channel line-up posted recently by ComcastTeds, several of the sports networks are already part of other tiers and many can be viewed on  2 or 3 different channels.  So, it looks like a lot.  Even if you count each sport channel only once, and include TCM, CMT, Discovery, and Military History (calling history "entertainment" is a stretch), the package is still about 75-80% sports.  

I received my bill yesterday which included a message in tiny print, at the bottom of page 3.  I never would have seen it if I hadn't been looking.  It said, "Good News",  as of Sept. 10,  I can get the Hallmark Drama channel -- only about 3 wks. late.  I don't need a 3rd Hallmark channel.  I didn't ask for that.  Hallmark is fine, but I'd rather keep TCM.

I'm already paying $6.35 for a Regional Sports fee here in Indiana with comcast as every one else is I suspect and I don't ever watch sports, so why would I spend another $9.95 on a Sports and Entertainment Pkg just to get TCM and have a bunch more channels to add to the ones now that I  never watch

My Regional Sports fee is $7.25.  I also pay $9.00 for a Broadcast TV fee, which is normally free over the airwaves.  On top of that, the sports package includes many channels that I already have, and reluctantly pay for.  In some cases, the package has the HD version, but I don't need HD that bad.  This might be enticing for customers with the smaller tiers, but it wouldn't change much for me, even if I was a big sports fan.  In adding the package, I would essentially be paying for access to the "entertainment" channels and paying for the sports channels twice.