Call 4 Action: Comcast Dropping Some Standard Cable TV Channels

Options Shrink For Viewers Who Don't Have Box

POSTED: 4:57 pm EDT August 8, 2008

UPDATED: 11:45 pm EDT August 8, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- Comcast cable customers who watch TV without a box have probably noticed that more of their stations are disappearing.

Under pressure to keep adding more high-definition stations, the company has been subtracting others to make room.

"One day we had them, and one day we didn't, and then they were gone," Comcast customer Margie Jaczesko told Call 4 Action.

Last month, many customers who don't use a converter box lost several stations -- most notably MSNBC and EWTN, which is a favorite among Catholics like Reid Trent.

"I see that coming, you know? That's just another way to nail you for another $5 for a box," Trent told Call 4 Action.

Comcast is competing against DirecTV, Dish Network and Verizon FiOS for customers in the Pittsburgh area.

That means Comcast is faced with some hard choices -- and for customers who don't have digital cable boxes, it could eventually lead to even fewer stations.

And it's not just Comcast. Traditional cable companies across the U.S. are moving more stations off standard cable to digital cable, which requires a box.

There's only so many stations Comcast can cram into a cable wire. For every station they remove from standard cable, they can add several more high-definition channels.

Comcast is offering a free box for one year to customers who are affected by this change. That will off-set the increase for digital cable service.

The concern among some people is that, at this rate, everyone will soon need a box. But it should be noted that Comcast is the only type of cable service in Pittsburgh that still allows its customers to watch TV without a box.

"At this time, there are no new announcements of channel changes," Comcast told Call 4 Action on Friday.

As for the future, Comcast only said that it will continue to deliver what most customers want, which appears to be more high-def in place of cheaper options.

This situation is not related to the digital switchover for broadcast stations in 2009. You can visit ThePittsburghChannel.com's Digital TV page to get all the information you need about the digital countdown.

Statement From Comcast

"As you know, we recently moved a limited number of analog channels to digital, while at the same time offering those customer affected the opportunity for a free box for one year and 2 additional outlets for just $1.99 per outlet. We will continue to look at our line-up to deliver what the vast majority of our customers say that they want. At this time there are no new announcements of channel changes. As in the past, as we migrate channels, we plan to saturate the market with an extensive communications campaign that explains what is happening, how it affects customers and what action they need to take."

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