Contributor
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23 Messages
WHY IS COMCAST CHANGING TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES TO SPORTS PACKAGE IN OCTOBER?
I just received a notice from Comcast that they are removing TCM, Turner Classic Movies, from all current packages and moving it to the SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGE? What possible logic is there to that brilliant change? TCM is widely viewed by many Comcast subscribers on their regular packages--NOT SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGE! I URGE COMCAST TO LEAVE TCM WHERE IT IS. I am seriously considering cancelling my Comcast subscription over this.
Accepted Solution
Ally2
Recognized Contributor
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1.9K Messages
6 years ago
Hello, mbg71. Thank you for reaching out.
Every month, Comcast pays programmers like networks, local TV station owners and others, for the ability to bring their programming to you. 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.
We sincerely appreciate all the feedback we have received in regards to this change. This thread has now been locked from receiving new replies.
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FLE369ing
Regular Visitor
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5 Messages
6 years ago
I received my bill today and there was a notice that TCM was being taken out of all of the various packages and was being placed in the EXTRA COST Sports and Entertainment.
Do they mean TCM as Turner Classic Movies Channel? I can't find any other TCM that could be a sports channel or another channel with same call letter.
Does anyone have any information on this Subject? Thank you for your time and assistance. Have a nice day.
Dr. John
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CCAndrew
Gold Problem Solver
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25.9K Messages
6 years ago
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tito752
Contributor
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49 Messages
6 years ago
This doesn't matter to me since I subscribe to the tier, but I think you seriously need to reconsider this move Comcast. With cord cutting becoming more and more common, this is not the thing to do. This will not help curb it. If anything it'll only help accelerate it. Just my 2 cents.
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FLE369ing
Regular Visitor
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5 Messages
6 years ago
GREAT response! They remove Cinmax from movie tier and place separately and charge you ANOTHER $12 if you want it. Replaced with Hitz and make a big deal out of how Hitz carries so many of the movies that are those you want. When in reality it is nothing more than movies that are aready available On Demand for free in a large percentage of those free movies offered I liked some of the original programming that Cinemax had. True, there were many of the movies on Cinamax that were on HBO. But, so are so many of the other movies such as Showtime/Epix, which is an extra $6 if you want it/Starz/The Movie Channel/etc. have.
TCM has movies that came from the beginning of "motion pictures," many that are even before "talkies" were born, that are a refreshing change from many of offerings on the previous cited movie channels. Comcast quielty dropped MGM movie channel earlier in the year saying that it was due to the increase in fees being demanded by the owner of the channel. And it goes on and on. It seems it is always the "other guy's fault" when cost increases are made and we pick up the tab. Each of the movie channels above have additional "sub offerings" beside the main channel that are NOT carried by Comcast and are offered by many other Cable Companies and their subscribers pay the same for these additional "sub offerings." HD is an important factor that a channel needs to offer to remain competitive. Once again Comcast lags far behind in its' HD offerings compared to so many other Cable Companies. Bandwidth is often cited for this lagging. But what do the other Cable Companies have that is so far more advanced than Comcast that they can offered so much more HD. Comcast is constantly advertising how advance it system(s) are and it would seem they could give their cable customers a little more of that technology for channels in HD. I won't even bring up the next great advance in broadcasting. 4K picture quality.
It seems that Comcast is slowly but surely changing their offerings so they can charge you more and more for things that you may like. Big business must please its' stockholders and at the expenses of subscribers. Comcast has become so big with its' recent mergers that it seems to care less and less of those that pay anywhere from $50 to more than $200 a month to be able to get the choice of channels they may like. The ACC channel is coming on later in the month. I wonder how much Comcast will charge for it to those that like the sports from the Conference? If they even offer the channel.
Of course, any business has the RIGHT to a make profit. Take a look at Comast's most recent Annual Report and their 10K and 10Q at some of the monies made and distributed to Company officers and profit ratios Comcast is making and it really gives you pause for thought about the charges subscribers are required to pay.
One thing I HAVE found with Comcast is the great people that make all of the day to day effort to make "Comcast tick." In my dealings with customer support in many of its' different departments I have found these great people to go out of the way to help me in more than 98% of the time. Hopefully this has been the case with other customers of Comcast.
I do apology for this "long winded" commentary. Needed to get my feelings aired to moves Comcast is making with its' program offerings.
My appreciation to those of you that read through this message. Have a nice day.
Dr. John F. Gibson
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6818769
New Poster
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3 Messages
6 years ago
Not only does my line up include multiple channels with the same program, at the same time, numerous foreign language channels, useless to us, now Comcast is taking TCM and putting it in with programming never watched in our house, SPORTS?
$197.83 plus all the additional nonsense charges, (i.e. "regional sports fee"?) is pretty hefty for the types of things provided in this line up.
Is Comcast trying to drive customers away?
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ER71
Regular Visitor
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2 Messages
6 years ago
It seems to me that Comcast is just going to charge us more to make up for their loss from cord cutting customers. Not Nice but that's business, and they have never been interested in pleasing their customers, and on a side note most service representatives don't seem to know what they're talking about
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ggeinec
Contributor
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223 Messages
6 years ago
Is this national or just localized to certain areas? Because I haven't seen nor heard anything about this in our area (Baltimore, MD). If they do it here I guess it will be time to finally dump their modem and get my own.
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dapper921
Contributor
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50 Messages
6 years ago
This is like weatherscan, all over again. they just do these things, with no explanation, and I guess we just have to take it. From comcast's perspective, they must have a reason, even it's as petty/silly/strange as, say, because TCM is owned by Warner, which is owned by at&t , a competitor? They can't really believe people are going to shell another $10/month for tcm?
Hey comcast, why don't you put the sports/entertainment package on sale for half off?
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ggeinec
Contributor
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223 Messages
6 years ago
It's all about the money, so they can buy up and pay for more content and distribution companies. It's our increasing monthly payments that are paying for all of these acquisitions so they can turn around and increase our monthly rates even more.
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dapper921
Contributor
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50 Messages
6 years ago
I think what irritates me the most is most of the people who watch TCM are (middle-age and older??) people, like my mom, who has faught year after year to keep her costs down, while getting less and less each year. here, the channel she watches most is moved to a 'tier' that has nothing to do with movies.
Perhaps, some day, comcast will be given its' rightful place right in the top-tier of the almighty profit-first, customer-second list of slum-lords of the tech industry.
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Murklin
New Poster
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1 Message
6 years ago
I've been seriously thinking about switching from Directv to Comcast since my DTV Loyalty discount ran out and they seem unwilling to renew it. But this news makes the move completely out of the question. TCM is one of the few channels we do watch often, and to lump it into an expensive Sports package that we wouldn't use makes zero sense. I'd be willing to pay a $5/mo extra fee just for TCM and possibly a few other HD movie channels in a package, but not any higher price stuck into a sports package. It's a ridiculous move by Comcast.
So for now I guess it's a case of better to stay with the devil you know. Maybe I'll check more into DishTV.
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AlmstSavvy
Regular Visitor
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5 Messages
6 years ago
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mbg71
Contributor
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23 Messages
6 years ago
Thank you for your response. I am afraid I do not believe your response entirely. TCM is widely viewed in my area by many friends and relatives. There are many, many other channels that Comcast offers other than Turner Classic Movies which you could switch to the oblivion of your Sports Package. Quite frankly, some of the channels you offer mot people NEVER watch. I am one of thousands of Comcast customers who wish you would change your mind and leave TCM available as it is. PLEASE reconsider! I have been a Comcast client for many years and this situation is causing me to re-evaluate my subscription. PLEASE leave TCM alone.
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joi1
New Poster
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8 Messages
6 years ago
Is it true that in October, TCM will go to the Sports Entertainment Package? Did you really drop Cinamax and gave us Hitz? I dont want HITZ, I want a reduction in my bill for the loss of Cinamax. I also want to manage my account on line and be able to drop some of these useless channels like HITZ. I have tried talking on the phone to someone about this, the young lady was clueless about what she was trying to sell.
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