Post by Skaggs on Feb 29, 2008 8:47:08 GMT -5
Cable company increases prices
As cost of Time Warner packages rises another 3-4 percent, provider says it's offering more
By LARRY RULISON, Albany Times Union Business writer
First published: Friday, February 29, 2008
ROTTERDAM -- Rates are once again going up for customers of Time Warner Cable in the Capital Region.
Time Warner notified customers about the hike in a glossy marketing mailing sent out this month. Except for basic cable, which is $12 a month for 19 channels, all other offerings and packages are going up starting in April.
That includes Time Warner's "triple play" offering of cable TV, Internet and telephone service. Known as All the Best, the package is going up from $129.90 a month to $133.90 a month.
Time Warner's standard TV offering -- which is 78 channels -- is going from $50.20 a month to $52.95 a month.
The most basic digital TV offering, known as DigiPic 1000, is rising from $57.90 a month to $59.95 a month. The package offers more than 200 channels.
Overall, the price increases are between 3 percent and 4 percent.
One thing that is going down is the monthly cost of an extra digital converter needed to view digital cable in other parts of the house. The cost of that box is going down from $7.65 a month to $7.15 a month. The first converter at the house is free.
The mailing sent to customers does not say if Internet or phone service on their own will increase. A Time Warner customer service representative said those services, which cost $44.95 and $49.95 respectively, will not go up in price this year.
Time Warner is the dominant cable television provider in the Capital Region with nearly 400,000 customers. Increasingly, it has become a larger player for phone and high-speed Internet customers traditionally served by the phone company.
The increases reflect the addition of new services and channels over the past year, including 41 new channels such as ESPN U, a college sports station, and FOX Reality, a reality TV channel, said Peter Taubkin, Time Warner's vice president of government relations and public affairs.
The company also added its Start Over feature that allows viewers to restart a show already in progress.
"These are examples of how we continue to enhance and build value into our products over a fiber-optic network that we have built and continue to invest in," Taubkin said. "In contrast, many products increase in price, but provide no added value."
Time Warner also increased its prices and added new channels and services last year.
Taubkin said Time Warner's competitors such as DirecTV, Dish Network and Verizon have increased rates for comparable services by 10 percent to 12 percent this year.
Moderator's Note: Emphasis added to "free converter box" statement.
As cost of Time Warner packages rises another 3-4 percent, provider says it's offering more
By LARRY RULISON, Albany Times Union Business writer
First published: Friday, February 29, 2008
ROTTERDAM -- Rates are once again going up for customers of Time Warner Cable in the Capital Region.
Time Warner notified customers about the hike in a glossy marketing mailing sent out this month. Except for basic cable, which is $12 a month for 19 channels, all other offerings and packages are going up starting in April.
That includes Time Warner's "triple play" offering of cable TV, Internet and telephone service. Known as All the Best, the package is going up from $129.90 a month to $133.90 a month.
Time Warner's standard TV offering -- which is 78 channels -- is going from $50.20 a month to $52.95 a month.
The most basic digital TV offering, known as DigiPic 1000, is rising from $57.90 a month to $59.95 a month. The package offers more than 200 channels.
Overall, the price increases are between 3 percent and 4 percent.
One thing that is going down is the monthly cost of an extra digital converter needed to view digital cable in other parts of the house. The cost of that box is going down from $7.65 a month to $7.15 a month. The first converter at the house is free.
The mailing sent to customers does not say if Internet or phone service on their own will increase. A Time Warner customer service representative said those services, which cost $44.95 and $49.95 respectively, will not go up in price this year.
Time Warner is the dominant cable television provider in the Capital Region with nearly 400,000 customers. Increasingly, it has become a larger player for phone and high-speed Internet customers traditionally served by the phone company.
The increases reflect the addition of new services and channels over the past year, including 41 new channels such as ESPN U, a college sports station, and FOX Reality, a reality TV channel, said Peter Taubkin, Time Warner's vice president of government relations and public affairs.
The company also added its Start Over feature that allows viewers to restart a show already in progress.
"These are examples of how we continue to enhance and build value into our products over a fiber-optic network that we have built and continue to invest in," Taubkin said. "In contrast, many products increase in price, but provide no added value."
Time Warner also increased its prices and added new channels and services last year.
Taubkin said Time Warner's competitors such as DirecTV, Dish Network and Verizon have increased rates for comparable services by 10 percent to 12 percent this year.
Moderator's Note: Emphasis added to "free converter box" statement.
