Saturday, August 05, 2006

We Found That Time Warner NFL Network Notice

Various published reports late this week said Time Warner Cable was putting up a crawl on the NFL Network advising of its possible re-removal...after returning the channel to systems that once carried it, but were swallowed up by TWC this week.

We kept watching the NFL Network on the now-former Adelphia/Cleveland system, waiting for the TWC crawl.

But we only saw this NFL Network plea to new TWC customers, urging them to call 866-NFL-NETWORK to register their support for the channel between now and September 3, when Time Warner will once again take the channel off their newly merged systems if an agreement is not reached.

We found Time Warner's notification message - but not on the NFL Network channel, 178 (digital cable) or 778 (HDTV).

We found it...on digital channel 125, the spot formerly occupied by ESPNU. When TWC pulled the NFL Network after taking over the former Adelphia and Comcast systems locally early Tuesday, they also took off ESPNU.

We're not experts, so we don't know if this fulfill's Time Warner's "30 day notice" obligation...a graphic slate on a channel once occupied by something else, nowhere near the NFL Network channels.

But we're sure TWC is using other methods to notify customers that the channel will go away unless TWC and the NFL get together on a new agreement.

OMW reported that earlier TWC's former local Comcast folks report seeing only a message such as the one shown here, on the NFL Network channel, and they're apparently still not seeing NFL Network itself in that part of the new TWC empire. Maybe they should try the old ESPNU channel...

In the OMW "Timing is Everything" Dept.: The NFL Network is originating much of its programming this week just down I-77 from Cleveland, due to Canton's Hall of Fame Week...as you can see in this screen shot.

It'll also rerun the first Cleveland Browns exhibition game next weekend, which gets carried locally on new Browns pre-season home WKYC/3.

But the Time Warner Cable branch serving the Canton area has never carried NFL Network...

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would love to try the old ESPN U station, unfortunately, we never had it. No other stations disappeared for us, so if NFL Network is on, it's invisible for old Comcast people. I called TWC again, and their response was that it is on for Comcast folks, I asked him what channel, and he had no idea. Lovely. I'm still on hold with Comcast, 35 minutes and going strong right now.

Anonymous said...

Just a follow up, just spoke with Jason at Comcast (answered saying Time Warner Cable) and he said Comcast is not adding NFL Network back due to the cost of switching it back on. I asked him why Adelphia customers have it, and he said TWC instructed them to have it turned back on, but it will not be back on Comcast. I told him since they are all TWC, shouldn't the FCC mandate fall to them as well, and he said that Comcast made a business decision with TWC to not re-add the station. I then proceeded to get my cancel information, and told him I've threatened before, but I'm done now. I'm on hold with Direct TV, and the day they install will be the day I have Comcast/TWC pick up my DVR's and cable modem.

Anonymous said...

That makes no sense. How could comcast/time warner have a prior deal? I do feel for all the new time warner customers. Why do they want NFL network in a package anyway? I mean are they trying to make money off chanels noone wants? Very strange. At least the above poster is taking steps in showing who's the boss. The boss of course is the customer.

Anonymous said...

If there is any place The NFL Network SHOULD be it is in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton region. TWC is just being so short-sighted on this..

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure they both arn't at fault. NFL is demanding a lot of money for something that isn't even up to par with ESPN. TWC wants to make it as part of a sports tier. I am willing to bet that before Thanksgiving some type of agreement will come through.

Oh, and when you call the NFL Networks number they give you the number to switch to DTV, which I can't have anyway because I have too many trees.

Anonymous said...

I think most YWC subsribers would gladly give up the G4 channel for NFL network.

TWC sucks.