Rampant Cable Inflation

To the Editor:

We first subscribed to Charter Communications TV cable service in mid 1999. Nothing exotic. Just basic service to give us 13 off-the-air signals and enough expanded service to include CNN and the Weather Channel. Throw in an analog converter box for an aging TV set that was not “cable ready” and the monthly bill totaled $42.42.

By January of 2001 the bill had crept up to $45.86. January of 2002, $49.83. January of 2003, $58.71. March of 2003, $64.15. Today, $61.43.

What has changed at this end? Nothing much except a forced “upgrade” from that analog converter box to a digital box because they ceased supporting the analog. The analog box had worked just fine for our purposes, and did not require a remote control as complicated as a NASA rocket launch console with an instruction manual constantly at hand.

They tell us with that digital box forced trade we now have additional services for that ancient “not cable ready” TV set, services we didn’t ask for, don’t need, and don’t use...such as digital music channels. Who listens to music on a TV?

What has changed at the Charter end? Well, they did juggle the familiar locations of channels we do use, added some channels we don’t use, built a second building on Commerce Road, and slid toward bankruptcy if Paul Allen doesn’t bail them out.

We normally select from among about 15 of the 100-plus channels sent our way. It may not make technical or business sense to Charter, but it sure would make dollars-and-sense to us to be able to select a block of channels we might use, and reject that unwatched majority we pay for anyway. I wouldn’t let my cat watch MTV.

Deflation may be a threat to the general economy, but inflation sure is rampant in the Charter Communications customer billing department.

James Wright

13 Tamarack Road, Newtown                                         July 9, 2003