I received an odd/disturbing letter today from our local Cable Company.

[mzmolly]

Not sure what to make of this.

The letter reads:

Dear XXXXX,

Thank you for contacting Comcast cable with your request for the "Al Jazeraerl" News based Public Access TV channel. We appreciate that you took the time to contact us to let us know your interests. We have documented and forwarded your request to the marketing management team.

Our goal at XX is to provide a wide choice of quality cable networks and local broadcast channels that will provide customers with a diverse mix of programming. While we cannot honor every request, we do consider each request in planning future changest to the line-up.

Sincerely,

Comcast

Neither myself or my husband made any such request.

I don't know if a friend is playing a joke on us or what? But, I find it puzzling and a bit concerning in today's climate of "enemy combatant-ism."

I'm waiting for a call back from a supervisor. :shrug:

[melissinha]

1. weird

really weird and scary.

[screembloodymurder]

2. I got one too.

This is serious shit.

[mzmolly]

16. Was yours worded in the same fashion?

Was it also from Comcast?

[screembloodymurder]

24. Yes.

I never requested it, but I thought they meant that their subscribers had made the request. Still it was odd and it's hard to believe they got a lot of letters requesting that service. I just threw it away.

[mzmolly]

25. They said it's not a chain letter and noted the time and date that we

supposedly called in.

Strange.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. It's true. There is going to be a english language network available

of al Jazeera

It was in the news yesterday, but something about who would be able to carry/offer it was an issue.

Sorry, not too up-to-date on the details.

[mzmolly]

9. Wow.

Interesting.

[Cass]

4. Pretty weird and they misspelled Al Jazeera. nt

[William769]

5. Comcast has accused me on three different occasions

Of stealing their service. Started right after I dropped them and went with satellite.

Sorry for going off topic, I just hate that company!

[karlrschneider]

6. Well, I wrote Dish Network REQUESTING it and haven't gotten any response

at all...
hmmm

[tkmorris]

32. Dish Network has not made a decision yet

They DO however carry the Arabic version already, so there has been speculation that a deal will be made eventually to air the English version as well.

[karlrschneider]

34. Okay thanks for the info. I think the Arabic version needs a separate dish

not sure, will have to do a better job keepin' up...
;-)

[txindy]

7. Okay, that is weird. Any wingnutty neighbors that lost it because of the election?

If it's a 'joke', it would have to be someone who knows you're a Dem (and is assuming you'd want the channel from what the WH talking points have been telling them) and familiar enough to know you have cable.

Update when you get any word, okay? :hug:

[mzmolly]

8. Thanks, will do.

:hi:

[acmejack]

10. Comcast chose not to carry it.

They announced that Thursday.

snip>
Comcast confirms it won't carry al-Jazeera International

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Comcast Corp. (CMCSA, CMCSK), the country's largest cable operator, won't distribute the international version of Qatar-based news service al-Jazeera, the company confirmed Tuesday.

Trade publication Variety reported in Tuesday's editions that talks with Comcast hadn't resulted in a key U.S. distribution platform for al-Jazeera's new English-language news channel.

"We'd had some preliminary conversations" to carry al-Jazeera International, Comcast spokeswoman Jenni Moyer said Tuesday. "They did not result in a carriage agreement."

The launch of al Jazeera International, which has broadcast hubs in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington, has been beset by delays. The broadcaster has said it will launch Wednesday, the 10th anniversary of al-Jazeera, with distribution in Western Europe, Australia and other countries.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?siteid=mktw&guid=%7B7E8774F6-09F9-4883-849F-3DC74A7AE32A%7D

edit for formatting

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. Their refusal to carry Al-Jazeera is especially silly considering that they

carry China's English-language news service on their digital service.

[Strelnikov_]

28. China Ain't Got No Oil To Steal

Islamic world does.

Can't have anything clouding the Reich-Wing media induced fear of the 'other'.

[mzmolly]

14. Strange.

I think a rep was being a smart ass because I called to downgrade my service? I just wonder if I'm on the homeland security shit list now? LOL

[xultar]

11. You didn't know that there was an AJ english language channel?

I'd request it but I know that the US won't allow it.

[mzmolly]

13. I knew there was one, but I didn't request it, and I didn't know the

spelling.

:hi:

[xultar]

22. I couldn't spell AJ to save my life. Can't ya tell?

:)

[mzmolly]

23. Me either. I just thought the "erl" at the end was odd?

;)

[karlrschneider]

35. Not so.

...

[pretzel4gore]

15. al jazeera(?) isn't any worse then foxnews....

your post seems to say you feel slightly guilty being linked to al jazeera(?) esp since you never requested it in 1st place. perhaps you should tell the powermad monkees that, while you never made any such request, since it was made, possibly by some facist prick who wants to embarrass you, you DEMAND/INSIST they either include the channel, or get rid of fascist propaganda foxnews!
good luck, and remember, as robert frost once said 'freedom lies in being bold!'

[mzmolly]

19. I don't feel in the least bit guilty for being linked with Al J. I just know in the

climate where the US Government is requesting library records and declaring US citizens enemy combatants I don't appreciate it.

Good suggestion on the FOX news propaganda.

[tridim]

17. Comcast is evil. Period.

I'm currently trying to get them to admit they're purposefully distorting their analog cable signal to get me to switch to their crap-ass digital cable package. So far they admit nothing, even though I've verified the noise exists for other analog customers as well.

They insert digital "tear out" into the analog signal which makes some channels nearly unwatchable.

[mzmolly]

21. LOL

wow, I had no idea they still had analog available?

[tridim]

26. They do, and believe it or not the picture is superior to digital

Since digital is nothing more than highly compressed analog signal. Analog is also significantly cheaper.

They want people to switch because analog is a bandwidth hog.

[mzmolly]

33. They won't let people subscribe anymore either. One must be grandfathered

in.

[Mythsaje]

27. Good luck with that...

I seriously doubt they're doing that. I'm sure they'd prefer you get the digital package, but, hey, they make money off you either way you cut it. You're probably dealing with a service issue they haven't been able to figure out how to fix yet. One that might even be specific to your house because of the in-house wiring. Hard to say.

But I seriously doubt they're deliberately screwing with your reception. There's simply nothing in it for them to do that, except, possibly, the chance for bad press.

I used to accuse the cable companies of deliberately jamming broadcast frequencies, since ordinary reception has gone to shit since cable TV really got rolling.

The fact is that there are so many carrier waves in the atmosphere, interference is everywhere.

[tridim]

29. It's obvious though.. Analog is analog

There should be no digital noise in an analog signal unless it's happening in their raw feeds. If it is, they need to fix their feed.

Oh, and it just started about 3 weeks ago. It went from perfectly clear video to digital tearout crap in one day. It's not just me, it's the same all over the city.

[Mythsaje]

31. System glitch then...

I don't think it's something they're doing deliberately. Something in their system has gone wacky and they haven't been able to track it yet. It might actually have something to do with the conversion to digital, but I still doubt if it's deliberate.

They get people to go digital by offering enhanced commissions to the salespeople and billing reps to get you to bump up your service. Seriously. And some of them are VERY good at their jobs.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

30. Yeah, and they just took over from Time-Warner (nearly as evil) in

Minneapolis. :-(

I'm not sure what the point was, other than raw corporate power.

[adamblast]

18. Well, Comcast and Al Jazeera *were* in talks over the last couple weeks...

...about including their new English-language channel in their lineup... which they ultimately decided against adding...

Maybe during the negotiations someone did a little "ballot-stuffing"? Sending out phony notes to Comcast asking for it to be included (or *not* included)?

I can't think of any other reason why random people would get these same canned response letters on the subject... Let us know if you get it figured out!

[mzmolly]

20. I think that;'s possible now that you mention it.

I think they should have carried it now that I know it was under consideration. ;)

[tinfoil tiaras]

36. Maybe a Freeper who had alot of time on his/her/it's hands

found out your address and played this stupid joke on you.

hope everything works out well, though. :)

[mzmolly]

37. Spoke to a supervisor who said someone in CS probably had my

name up from a previous call and accidentally sent the letter. I'm satisfied with the explanation now that I know how it "may" have happened.

At least I know that I'm not on a homeland security shit list. Or should I say at least I know if I am, it's for something I actually said/did. ;)