Phillies and Comcast

[phillyphan]

We switched from Comcast to RCN in February. We switched because Comcast would not allow us to continue hopping from one promotional 6-month rate to another. We only had cable and internet with them and Vonage for phone. The prospect of going to the "triple play" with Comcast for around $160 per month did not interest me. So I got a special two-year triple play from RCN for about $132 per month after taxes and fees. This is less than what I was paying with Comcast and Vonage combined. RCN is great so far as we currently have 89 HD channels (including premium channels like HBO, Starz, Showtime, TMC, etc.) compared to 31 with Comcast. Comcast also has 8 premium HD channels that they charge extra for. We also have 20 mbps internet speed which I verified on Speakeasy - Speed Test using the NY server.

Anyway, one thing I did not notice when we switched to RCN was the lack of the Comcast Network Philadelphia (CNP) formerly known as CN8. I thought that they stopped airing Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games, but apparently they still carry "overflow" games when at least two of the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Flyers, or Philadelphia 76ers play at the same time, with one of the games airing on CSN Philadelphia. WPSG or (as of 2009) WPHL-TV also carries games from each team to alleviate conflicts.

I don't think there is anything that RCN can do to add the CNP channel, so I think I am just venting. Fortunately, it looks like CNP only has the Phillies broadcasts for two more games this season: 4/22, and 4/24. They were on CNP one night last week and again last night, 4/21. According to the schedule, the Phils should be on CSN or Phl 17 locally for the rest of the season.
2009 Phillies Schedule | phillies.com: Schedule
I suppose this is subject to change if the Flyers and/or Sixers move on in the playoffs. It's not looking good for the Flyers down 3-1 to the Pens.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing with another cable provider outside of Comcast? Thanks.

 

[limegrass69]

There were similar issues in NY with MSG Network (owned by Cablevision) and Verizon FiOS. I think those issues got worked out, however.

The issue to which you refer is similar however to the MSG/Verizon one. Obviously the programming provider wants to put its competitor at a disadvantage. The FCC passed some regulations trying to prevent that behavior. But the providers outfoxed them, and it is a problem specific to these two situations. In Philly, it goes way back to the Spectrum (the TV channel) days. Since Spectrum was distributed via microwave (rather than satellite), it was not subject to the rules requiring the provider to make the programming available to competitors. Thus, it's not likely that CNP will appear on RCN. Plus, since most of the sports play-by-play is no longer on CNP, the channel is probably of no interest to RCN.

MSG worked out some sort of deal ($$) with Verizon.

Bored yet?

 

[phillyphan]

There were similar issues in NY with MSG Network (owned by Cablevision) and Verizon FiOS. I think those issues got worked out, however.

The issue to which you refer is similar however to the MSG/Verizon one. Obviously the programming provider wants to put its competitor at a disadvantage. The FCC passed some regulations trying to prevent that behavior. But the providers outfoxed them, and it is a problem specific to these two situations. In Philly, it goes way back to the Spectrum (the TV channel) days. Since Spectrum was distributed via microwave (rather than satellite), it was not subject to the rules requiring the provider to make the programming available to competitors. Thus, it's not likely that CNP will appear on RCN. Plus, since most of the sports play-by-play is no longer on CNP, the channel is probably of no interest to RCN.

MSG worked out some sort of deal ($$) with Verizon.

Bored yet?

Yeah, it goes way back to the old Prism channel with the Phillies. However, Verizon doesn't have CNP either so those customers aren't able to watch the Phils tonight either.