Time Warner Cable Service Sucks!

I am totally fed up with Time Warner, my cable TV provider! Last night, knowing I could not stay up to see Jesse L. Martin’s last episode on Law and Order, I made sure TiVO was set to capture the show for me. This morning, I put together my b’fast, got a fresh cup of coffee, and settled in to watch the show; however, the prime time feature on NBC channel 4 at 10 pm last night provided by Time Warner Cable is the esteemed Dr. Milauskus, of the Milauskus Eye Institute, touting yet another one of his many services for vision-impaired desert residents!

My cable bill used to be $31.95 a month; however, when Adelphia sold out to Time Warner, there was a change in the line-up, touted as an upgrade, and my bill, for the same “basic” cable service I had been receiving, became $55.84. Now, mind you, this basic service does not include the special channels, such as Show Time—just the basic network and affiliate channels. While the rest of the world watched The Sopranos and Six Feet Under, I didn't because I took the basic cable option (retired person, remember?). I cannot afford to pay an additional $30 per month to get the next level of cable service!

I complained vehemently when the changes were announced, but was assured by a perky customer service representative that “more channels have been added to the basic service to enhance my viewing experience.” Well, those additional channels include a dozen Spanish-language channels (I don’t speak Spanish), a half-dozen shop-on-line channels (I don’t go there), as well as increased children’s programming (my children are grown and watching their own TVs) and more sports programming (lots of Mexican soccer, college football, tennis and golf, none of which I watch), as well as ethnic TV programming that features a constant stream of explicit profanity and semi-clothed sexual activity disguised as rap videos, not my personal cup of tea.

At the same time, the “upgrade” provided by Time Warner included the sudden switching of network channels to local promotional television! So, if a customer checks the TV Guide to see what network shows are listed on the network channels and plans their viewing accordingly, the local Time Warner service changes the programming.

What makes this so insidious is that the nationally-known network channels are the victims, replaced by local broadcasting that makes no sense. If the TV guides, both printed and electronic, show that the prime time network programming is being broadcast on a nationally-known network station, the local affiliates probably have switched the program to another channel and replaced the advertised network program with home-grown promotional programming. Do they really believe that local viewers will watch another tour of an exclusive real estate property, a fascinating exploration of professional dental whitening, and in-depth discussion of "affordable" cosmetic surgery procedures that none of us can afford instead of the prime time network show they thought they were going to watch?

Using Extra and Access Hollywood, both of which are NBC network shows, as an example, why does Access become a local KPSP (CBS) show at 7:30 pm when it’s listed as an NBC network show on the TV guide? Access starts on NBC, then is suddenly replaced with local programming, but if the viewer switches to channel KPSP/CBS, there's Access! Why does the local TV Guide show that Law and Order is on NBC channel 4, but broadcast on Channel 6? Why is Ellen on at 4 pm either on KPSP CBS channel 2--or KNBC channel 4? If Ellen is a network show, which network owns it and schedules its programming? Viewers want to know whether to watch the CBS or NBC network, not have to flip through the channels to see which one the local cable service provider has chosen for a nationally-known network talk show broadcast!

If I knew how to file a class-action lawsuit, I’d do it to force Time Warner to at least honor the network listings published nationally for programming that is established as standard prime time TV viewing during the evening hours. If they want to mess with the other 18 hours of the day by substituting network programming with local promotions, that would be okay with me, but DON’T MESS WITH PRIME TIME!

There is no customization in cable--no customer at all, it seems--so I either accept whatever Time Warner provides or do without TV because Time Warner Cable is the only cable game in town.