Now From Cablevision: Match Game - A Contact Sport?

Many Cablevision Customers awoke last month to find that channel 88, the Game Show Network (GSN) was suddenly blocked on their TV. Many of them assumed, it must be a mistake. Afterall, they have all the basic channels and GSN has been a basic channel since its inception in 1994. So what gives?


Frantic calls to Cablevision's customer service number revealed a little note on the previous month's bill indicating that GSN would become part of the separate "IO Sports PAK" (later renamed as "IO Sports and Entertainment Pak"). This didn't make sense. This ala carte package contains all sports channels with the exception of GSN. It contains, hockey, tennis, horse racing, baseball, golf, and even cricket. The only thing that doesn't fit in the line up is GSN, a network primarily made up of old TV game shows and watched primarily by the over-60 crowd. Not the same demographic that is into contact sports.

Let me point out, that we've stood with Cablevision before, in their disputes with the various networks that have ransomed additional fees for the right to watch their shows. And, we have been crushed each time when Cablevision caved in. But, this channel change just doesn't make sense. It appears as an outright attempt to bolster a failing optional service package at the expense of senior citizens on fixed incomes. They really have no need for any of the other channels but are being forced to purchase them in order to see familiar programming.

To me this move makes as much sense as if they had moved Nickelodeon to the Adult Movie Package. They really should create a true ala carte pricing system. Let us pay $50 a month and pick the 20 channels we want to watch. If we want more channels, we'll pay more. In this way they are not beholding to the networks that want to hold them up for extortion. If ABC or Scripps think their channels are worth more a month, let the consumer actually decide, It will tame the networks' appetite for fees, and increase the quality of their programming when they have to compete directly for the consumers' dollars.

We can all see that this move was nothing more than a blatant grab for cash and I would urge Cablevision to rethink their position on this and return GSN to a more basic tier or at least offer it as a stand-alone option. If they really want to make a Sports Pak, why not take YES, SNY, MSG, ESPN and all the other true sports channels and add them to the package? Then they can reduce the cost of the basic service to those of who do not watch these channels and let those that want it, pay for it.