The Fresno Bee, Calif., Rick Bentley Column: Comcast Cable Rates Rise; Changes Are Ahead
By Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee, Calif.
Nov. 29–It has become a holiday tradition. Your cable bill is going up. Comcast officials have announced prices will increase by 3.19%. The change will be on your bill Jan. 1.
This means if you have the standard cable package with Comcast, your bill will increase about $1.61 to $52.21.
Bryan Byrd, director of communications for Comcast in Central California, explains that the price increase reflects “the increased value of our services.” His examples of those services include: the video-on-demand library of almost 10,000 programs; the increase in high-definition viewing choices; and the $663 million investment made to provide advanced products and services and improved customer service throughout Northern California.
“For the fifth consecutive year, there are no increases for our high-speed Internet or digital voice services and our Triple Play offers remain unchanged. To add even more value, we are also introducing a new three-product discount for customers who have our cable, high-speed Internet and phone services,” Byrd says.
The increase is lower than last year. A year ago, Comcast increased its cost by about 4.9%. A year earlier, the price went up 5.8%.
As a point of reference, in 2004 the price of standard cable service for all Comcast subscribers in the central San Joaquin Valley was $37.96 for 66 channels.
The current price increase does come with some changes. Here are a few, all of which start Dec. 12:
New high-definition networks: Comcast launch five additional high-definition networks. The new high-definition channels can be found at Discovery HD, digital classic 938; HGTV HD, digital classic 914; History HD, digital classic 916; NFL HD, sports entertainment tier 917; and USA HD, digital classic 937.
New standard-definition networks: Comcast adds Fox Business Network and C-SPAN 3 to its lineup. Both will only be available to those who purchase an additional package of digital channels to go with their standard cable package. C-SPAN 3 will be at digital classic 110, and Fox Business Net will be at digital classic 130.
Channel changes: C-SPAN 2 will be on both cable channels 16 and 109; GSN will be at channels 69 and 161. Hallmark Channel will be seen at channels 47 and 186. But Oxygen moves from standard cable 48 to digital classic 165.
Radio changes
Jody Jo Mize, a member of the KSKS, FM 93.7, morning show, has resigned. A press release from Peak Broadcasting, owners of KSKS, states that Mize “‘has decided to be a stay-at-home mom and devote her time to raising her three young girls.”
Mize started at KSKS in 1998 and became part of the morning team in 2001.
A search for Mize’s replacement has started.
In other Peak Broadcasting news, Ron Shapley no longer is working at KMJ, AM 580. Skip Essick, operations manager of the local news/talk station, would not comment on details of Shapley’s departure.
Essick did say Blake Taylor has been hired as Shapley’s replacement. Taylor comes to Fresno from Bakersfield, where he worked at KERN as the program director and a news anchor. He will be the assistant program director at KMJ.
Joint effort
Catholics and Muslims will work together to support KNXT, Channel 49. The event will be 7:30-10:30 p.m. Tuesday. Islamic groups have volunteered to work on the local television station’s annual on-air pledge drive. They will ask their friends and peers to give financial support to the Catholic TV station.
Jim Grant has hosted interfaith discussion on his show “Forum” over the past four years. Those discussions have included leaders of the Muslim faith.
The columnist can be reached at rbentley@fresnobee.com or at (559) 441-6355.
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