Pgh Post-Gazette: Comcastic? Fans smell a political rat in moving MSNBC

[RamboLiberal]

At least the editorial page gets it even if the dense-headed TV critic Rob Owen pooh-poohs it. But from an email exchange I had with him over ABC's 9-11 drama I suspect he's a wingnut.

-----

Earlier this week, Pittsburgh cable subscribers attempted to tune in to MSNBC only to find the Golf Channel sitting where "Morning Joe" and "Hardball with Chris Matthews" used to be aired.

What happened last year in Portland and other cities is now happening in Western Pennsylvania. Viewers are just as angry. More than a dozen channels were bumped, but only MSNBC, TruTV, Oxygen and the Hallmark Channel were kicked from standard to digital premium.

On local talk radio, the suspicion is that Comcast is engaging in a back-door rate increase that disproportionately affects Democrats during an important election year. Because MSNBC caters to liberal voices in ways that Fox and CNN don't, moving it to a more expensive tier is suspect.

The reasons for moving MSNBC may be far more mundane than liberal-bashing conspiracy theories allow. Decisions for doing so also may vary according to local programming carriage agreements. These deals are complex, so cable companies aren't always forthcoming about them.

Still, there are a lot of unhappy subscribers who want their MSNBC. If a cable subscriber is truly mad enough, complaining to Comcast, moving to a competitor, pulling the plug or subscribing to the paper may be the way to go.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08201/898010-192.stm

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. So, now does it make sense to fight them on the radio waves?

See the patterns? Even if they are a minority voice in this country, conservatives will reach more people.

[WillyT]

2. Ya Gotta Wonder What MSNBC Thinks Of All This !!!

They did this to us here in Sacramento last year.

Took MSNBC and The Weather Channel off basic. Left Faux News, CNN, Headline and CNBC.

Isn't Comcast fucking with MSNBC's revenue stream???

And isn't The Weather Channel almost a public safety\awareness matter?

:shrug:

[high density]

3. Call Comcast up and dump 'em

Money talks. We're paying a pretty penny to bring in content that is already advertiser supported for the most part.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Cut the cable

Starve the republicon propaganda beast.
Save money.
Free your mind.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. "Morning Joe" caters to liberals?

:shrug:

[jazzjunkysue]

6. ATT dropped it about 10 months ago in Connecticut, altogether.

I miss my KO. But the contract is so long term, you can't break it, and I'dhave to switch my internet, too, since it's linked.

This is all part of the protioning off that the utilities do to each other. Verizon will insert 6 inches of fiber optical cable in a regular line just so a competitor can't give you dsl or high speed. It's so nasty.

They spend more time preventing each other form doing business than tehy do repairing their own networks and procedures.

[AlCzervik]

7. M$NBC caters to liberals? Is this from The Onion?

[scheming daemons]

8. Olbermann and Maddow means that MSNBC has twice as many liberals as any other network

CNN: Cafferty... MAYBE... on some issues

Fox: Colmes... but he's worthless


MSNBC is the only thing liberals have where they even get SOME liberal voices.