My latest Cablevision update May 6, 2008
Posted by Mike C. in Media, Personal, TV.trackback
I got a notice in the mail from Cablevision that said the following:
In conjunction with continuously making technological improvements to our services, the following is important to review:
… Digital cable boxes will be necessary by 6/3/08 for each television set in your home on which you wish to continue receiving TLC, A&E, E!, Sci-Fi Channel, truTV, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, C-SPAN2, QVC, and OTB/RAI (new channel location 74).
C-SPAN is now available to the Broadcast Basic level of service on channel 77.
I then called Cablevision to speak to another customer service rep. I asked if this change coincides with the addition of new channels. She said yes, but that won’t happen right away. Here’s where the feelings got mixed: I told her about what the rep I spoke to last Wednesday told me about Time Warner and Cablevision working together to have the same channels. She denied that. So much for that theory. However, she asked if there was a specific channel I was requesting. Of course, I told her Fox Business Network (FBN). She said hey were getting a lot of requests for FBN and BBC America. She suggested I go to Cablevision’s suggestion box to make any requests, adding that all suggestions are taken seriously.
Here’s hoping I finally get the channels I want without having to switch to another provider. Wish me and my fellow Cablevision subscribers luck.
UPDATE: I made my channel requests in the suggestion box. The list included FBN, FBN HD, and FNC (Fox News Channel) HD.
7/3 UPDATE: Yesterday, Cablevision announced they will be adding 15 HD channels at the end of this month. I posted about it here.
11/19/09 UPDATE: FBN has finally come to Cablevision!
MikeChimeri.com 
Mike, I am not sure if you had contributed Local on the 8s videos I’ve seen at TWC Classics in the past, but your name rang a bell when I stumbled onto your blog here. I had seen local forecast videos from a few years ago that had its current conditions site at Kennedy Airport.
I arrived here while I was looking for updated information on the web about any possible chance whatsoever that Cablevision could add The Weather Channel HD to our iO Digital Cable lineup in time for June 2nd. That day is the big day in which The Weather Channel goes HD live for the first time, not just showing those satellite forecasts continuously running over and over again on carriers such as DirecTV and Dish Network and when TWC shows a few of their magazine shows such as “Epic Conditions” and “Weather Ventures” in HD.
I am curious if you have found out anything as to whether Cablevision will add TWC HD in time for next Tuesday morning. As of now, I’ve heard absolutely NOTHING to give me an indication it is even possible it will happen. Knowing Cablevision’s track record for painfully slow additions, I’m not holding my breath. The last new HD channel added to Cablevision systems was December 20th when we received ESPN2 HD.
I may try contacting customer service by tomorrow, but I doubt I’ll get a straight answer let alone a clue from them they know what is going on. So if you know anything, can you clue me in? Thanks.
I did contribute. In fact, I forgot to add TWC Classics to my Blogroll. I’ll do that shortly. I have no new information on any new channels that may be added. It’s just cautious optimism on my part. But there are plenty of channels I’d like to see added, with TWC HD being among them.
To make Cablevision’s painfully slow additions worse, they have those annoying commercials. Whether they’re the ones with the snarky, arrogant guy with light-brown hair taking pot shots at the competition; or the office nerd that switched to “Phone Company TV” (a shot at Verizon FiOS TV), can’t get News 12, and is ridiculed by his co-workers. And now, they own “Newsday.” It’s the kind of stuff that makes me want to move elsewhere or switch providers. Having said all that, I’m heavily reliant on News 12 Traffic & Weather and even use News 12 Interactive to watch the N12T&W feeds for the other Cablevision regions (New York City, Hudson Valley, Connecticut, New Jersey). I’ve even browsed the Local On Demand channel on some recent nights before I’ve gone to bed.
Best of luck contacting customer service. I’m going to contact them myself some time in the next few days.