My reply from Comcast (I posted complaint to their general email)

[hlthe2b]

Dear ___
Thank you for contacting the Comcast Office of Rick Germano, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations. I understand that you would like to provide feedback regarding Keith Olbermann, MSNBC's host of "Countdown".
___, I can appreciate your concern over his leaving the program and would be happy to explain Comcast's participation in this decision.

"Comcast has not closed the transaction for NBC Universal and has no operational control at any of its properties including MSNBC. We pledged from the day the deal was announced that we would not interfere with NBC Universal's news operations. We have not and we will not." Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast spokesperson.

To view Comcast's Official Statement and to leave further feedback please visit our Comcast Voices blog at:

http://blog.comcast.com/

We appreciate you making us aware of your position. Should you have any further questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to respond directly to this e-mail.

___, I appreciate you providing us with the opportunity to assist you.

Thank you for choosing Comcast. We value your business.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Kaufman
Office of Rick Germano



Original Message Follows (edited to remove personal content):
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The following information was submitted from the Comcast Web site

Name: deleted
Phone Number on Account: deleted

Contact Phone No: deleted
Zip Code:
Email Address: deleted
Category: Cable TV
Has Previously Contacted: False
Response Expected: True
Inquiry:
As owner of a small business, I was inquiring about packaged cable tv and high speed internet based on a promotion notice I had received from my business credit union.

However, I have been concerned about your merger with GE-NBC as I do not believe such monopolies are good for small business or consumers. Nonetheless, I was willing to withhold judgment and move business over to you.

Then, I see that you may have launched a coup at MSNBC and ridded them of YOUR problem--Keith Olbermann, who speaks out candidly--presumably TOO candidly towards issues that affect you.

Count me as one small business person who will seek my services ELSEWHERE. You can deny having anything to do with this action or any future actions. I will not be likely to believe you any more than a significant proportion of the public that predicted this is what would happen if that merger were approved. I wish no ill will on your employees, but I find it very difficult, nonetheless to wish you success.

[SoCalDem]

1. re:re:reply to their reply to you

Bah blah blah..

done with you

go pound sand

Dish, here I come

[hlthe2b]

2. Yes.. essentially...

But the response was very quick after the automated acknowledgment of the inquiry--leaving me to believe they are getting "pounded" and brought in extra staff to deal with the PR aspects and public response. While it included the cut and paste BS verbage previously released, it was personalized.

[Loge23]

3. Comcast just sucks.

The whole cable TV scam, which Comcast plays to the T, sucks.
Remember the schtick that cable TV sold America on to begin with?

You'll have crystal clear reception and access to hundreds of channels.

But, now if truly want "crystal clear reception" you pay extra - over and above your "basic" fees. And - you pay even more for each additional TV in your house. Now they also control Internet access, which was initially sold as "lightning fast". Now, if you truly want "lightning fast", you pay extra - over and above your internet access rate.

Let's face it folks, they can charge whatever they want - there's really no credible competition because outside of a few dollars, the satellite providers basically charge the same rates! There is no competitive options for HD-TV or high-speed internet. You pick your poison and pay the same either way.

This fucked-up government of ours - you know, the one that advertises itself as "by and for the people" - supports this bullshit monopoly and even has rubber-stamped the end of antenna TV!

I really try to be objective, but it's becoming increasingly hard to believe that we're not preordained for a fascist takeover - and a significant amount of morons in the country say they actually want it to happen!

[louis-t]

4. Deregulation was supposed to make your cable bill go down.

Has your cable bill EVER gone down?

[onenote]

8. I never saw anyone make that claim.

Link?

[DCKit]

10. That is the claim for ALL deregulation - better service with lower cost.

Where have you been?

[louis-t]

12. Apparently, you weren't around in the '80s.

[onenote]

13. i was around in the 80s

I was around when the Cable Act of 1984 was passed and when the Cable Act of 1992 was passed and when the 1996 Telecommunications Act was passed. I have copies of the legislative histories of all three sitting on my book shelves. I don't recall seeing any claim that deregulation would "make" rates go down. There were claims that competition from satellite and phone company provision of video services would act to restrain monopoly rate increases while deregulation would spur investment in upgraded facilities and the creation of new programming and services. So instead of paying hyperinflationary increases for the same number of channels, rates might go up, but the number of channels and the quality of the content would go up. That's how I recall the argument.

[Urban Prairie]

9. Yeah, just like what happened when bank tellers were replaced with ATMs

and "Service Stations" ended the era of "pump jockeys" who filled your tank while you stayed in your vehicle out of the elements....rain, snow, wind and cold. Consumers and customers certainly have saved them a lot of money, by not having to pay for their employment. The first job that I ever had at age 15 was pumping gas at a local service station, and any of my/our shift's cash/credit shortages, that were calculated by their managers, between the total price in gallons of gas pumped and a few other items that we sold, like cigarettes and quarts of engine oil, came out of OUR wages.

[DCKit]

11. That's a scam a lot of businesses use, but must be rampant at gas stations.

I once had a manager who started me off $20 short every shift. I got fired for asking to count the drawer before my shift.

[Swamp Rat]

5. Dear Comcast owners, officers, and managers:

Please go home to Jesus.

Now.

[Loge23]

7. Bravo, SR!

All your stuff is good, but this one is truly inspired!

[jimmie]

6. "Yes , MSNBC got rid of their number one draw...

but we don't know anything about it even though we're about to buy the company".

Yup,no fingerprints there.