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Post by Skaggs on May 18, 2009 7:17:08 GMT -5
Time-Warner Cable To Drop HD Net, Ring of Honor on May 31
May 16, 2009 by Reggie Brooks, PW NEWS NOWTime-Warner Cable will no longer carry Mark Cuban's HD Net, which broadcast Ring of Honor, beginning on or around May 31 in the New York City area. There had been talk of the cable provider pulling the channel its lineup a few months ago, but those plans were temporarily but on the back burner as talks between Time Warner and HD Net progressed. It appears as though the talks are at a stalemate as Time-Warner posted the following statement on its website Friday. "...from time to time we make certain changes in the services that we offer in order to better serve our customers. The following changes are planned: On or about May 31, 2009 we will no longer carry HD Net Movies on ch. 797 and HD Net on ch. 798. On or about June 1, 2009 we will launch MAV TV HD on ch. 787. This service will be part of the HD Xtra tier." Ohio based Heartland Wrestling Association announced that they will be filming a pilot for MAV TV later this month, which is of little consolation to Ring of Honor fans in the New York area.
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Post by Skaggs on May 18, 2009 11:38:42 GMT -5
Time Warner Cable Dropping HDNet Channels Nationwide May 31
Cable Operator Says There Is ‘Limited Appeal' for Mark Cuban-Backed Services
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 5/18/2009 9:32:23 AM MTTime Warner Cable confirmed Monday it will stop offering HDNet and HDNet Movies across all of its systems effective May 31. The move by Time Warner Cable, which has 8.7 million digital cable subscribers, is a blow to the Mark Cuban-backed HDNet, which was among the first HD services to cable operators. Asked why the company was dropping HDNet's services, Time Warner Cable director of corporate public relations Robyn Watson said, "There's a limited appeal for the programming. In a world with more than 100 HD channels, being in HD is not enough. We are adding other channels in HD to give our customers more choice." HDNet and HDNet Movies has been available to Time Warner Cable customers in the HD Xtra premium-priced tier, which depending on market costs up to $8.95 extra per month. HDNet representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The flagship channel features up to 20 hours per week of original features, including a newsmagazine hosted by former CBS anchor Dan Rather. Time Warner Cable disclosed the plans to drop the two HDNet services on its Web site May 15. The company also said on or about June 1 it will launch MAV TV HD, as part of the HD Xtra tier.
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Post by Skaggs on May 18, 2009 11:45:09 GMT -5
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peekb
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by peekb on May 18, 2009 16:25:59 GMT -5
Great. Let's take away two HD channels, one with decent original programming, live events (NASA launches and whatnot), concerts, etc., the other with a nice mix of movies in HD, and replace it with ManTV. That's fantastic. Another great move, TWC! Thanks!
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scott
Full Member
Posts: 174
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Post by scott on May 18, 2009 17:00:58 GMT -5
On the bright side, that's $4 I won't be giving TWC every month. The HDNets are the only good channels in the HD tier so when they drop those, I'll drop the tier. No reason to pay extra money for the other channels in the tier.
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Post by mattbanks on May 24, 2009 16:18:31 GMT -5
On the bright side, that's $4 I won't be giving TWC every month. The HDNets are the only good channels in the HD tier so when they drop those, I'll drop the tier. No reason to pay extra money for the other channels in the tier. Definitely. I don't see myself paying for the HD Tier anymore unless they add something right away actually worth it.
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Post by Skaggs on May 27, 2009 5:13:47 GMT -5
The channel change info was a little different.
I don't remember seeing RFD HD & MAV HD before.
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Post by Skaggs on May 27, 2009 7:20:14 GMT -5
While other areas of the country are reporting that HDNet is gone, we still have the channels, at least until May 31.
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Post by zekmoe on May 28, 2009 9:27:15 GMT -5
they were gone on my system as of this morning.
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Post by Skaggs on May 28, 2009 10:11:27 GMT -5
I checked via Slingbox and and confirm they are gone from my system, too. RFD and MAV are on in their place. Rodeo and boat racing...wooohooo! Not.
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Post by xzi on May 28, 2009 14:56:31 GMT -5
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scott
Full Member
Posts: 174
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Post by scott on May 28, 2009 17:02:00 GMT -5
I checked via Slingbox and and confirm they are gone from my system, too. RFD and MAV are on in their place. Rodeo and boat racing...wooohooo! Not. They also added Smithsonian on 1855 (Mojo's former channel, IIRC). There's something on Uni-HD tomorrow night I want to watch, so I'll be cancelling the HD Tier Saturday morning.
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peekb
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by peekb on May 29, 2009 3:35:50 GMT -5
I flipped to RFD 3 times tonight just for the hell of it. All 3 times I saw 4:3 SD programming...
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Post by Skaggs on May 29, 2009 6:45:55 GMT -5
There's something on Uni-HD tomorrow night I want to watch, so I'll be cancelling the HD Tier Saturday morning. Back in October 2008, two forum members confirmed that they get Universal HD without subscribing to the HD Tier. Link to post by UsualNoiseLink to post by dkennedy
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Post by Skaggs on May 29, 2009 6:59:05 GMT -5
Excerpt from info on HDNet negotiations published here: But according to HDNet owner Mark Cuban (yes, he’s also the owner of the Dallas Mavericks), the deal wasn’t about the usual increase in carriage fees, which is the money companies pay per subscriber to offer a network’s TV channels. (Remember the whole Viacom fiasco when Viacom’s fee increase nearly resulted in the loss of Jon Stewart, Sponge Bob and MTV?)
“No, the exact opposite. We cut the fees considerably,” said Cuban, via e-mail.
Interestingly, Cuban says he was trying to get HDNet to become part of Time Warner’s digital basic cable package so that all customers could access the channel. HDNet Movies would remain on the special HD tier. The new deal would be “considerably less than what they were paying to have both on the (HD) tier,” he said.
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