Deseret News | Mtn. woes? Try contacting Comcast direct

Reader comments
Dick Harmon: Mtn. woes? Try contacting Comcast direct

True Blue | 1:39 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

The correct telephone number for comcast's corp HQ is (215) 665-1700....

MWC Fan | 6:40 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

As the manager of several FCC licensed media properties, I agree with much of the opinion expressed by the "communications expert"s commentary
in this article. Comcast has had lower than average subscriber numbers in Utah for years along with its predecessor cable companies (TCI, Insight, etc.)due in part for it's carriage of what many in Utah would call indecent sexually orientated programming.
However, he or she does not go far enough in assessing the blame for the problem with the MWC and the various member schools whose various legal counsels' and athletic departments did not catch the fact that Direct TV and DISH subscribers would be left out of the telecasts of MWC games. This has been an ongoing problem for decades where the conference schools would assign the rights to all sports to one media entity who had no intention of allowing anyone else to carry games that they would not broadcast. In this case, the athletic departments of the various MWC member schools were so excited with getting their first fulltime cable channel that they forgot to think about all the other media and therefore all the thousands fans who would be left out of receiving the games. I was willing to review the contract for free to try and find a way out but was rebuffed, being told that it was "confidential". I would point out that no contract with an FCC licensed entity is entirely confidential under Federal law. However, the lack of a response from the attorney hired by BYU shows that it is a pretty well crafted document and that fans in the rest of the country are going to be left out of the games for a long time to come. Good luck, sports fans. You are going to need it.

david | 7:03 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I tried calling the (215) 655-1700 number and got a message that the number was no longer in service.

Any other suggestions?

Comments continue below

NoWatchee | 7:28 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

At what point, if any, could the mtn be held in breach of contract giving us an out? After all, they haven't delivered the coverage promised (I hope we got a promise). If that were possible, then BYU could put this season's games on KSL or KBYU and stick it to Comcast and the mtn. That would be sweet, but I'm not holding my breath.

Comcast is evil.

J Myers | 7:31 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I understand all of the above... However, what I do not understand is why Comcast does not make the MTN available in all of its own markets. That has absolutely NOTHING to do with Dish or DTV. And of all the countless articles written about this subject and of all the recaps I read during media days, no one has hit comcast between the eyes with that question. I do not care if the Comcast is the only one to carry the MTN but they do not even make it available to all of THEIR customers.

Tom | 7:34 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I've never bought in to the argument that the satelite companies were the problem. It is so obvious that Comcast is the reason for limited distribution. That, and the fact that BYU (and others) jumped into a deal without having the distribution of games nailed down.

Josh | 8:24 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

For those of you that live in:

Aurora/Redmond
Central
Dugway
Eureka/Goshen
Glenwood
Gunnison
Mayfield
Mona
Richfield
Salina
Sanpete North
Sanpete South
Santaquin

You might want to contact centracom @ centracom.com as they carry the Mtn, CSTV on just their regular cable package at 39.95 and if you want to pay $13 more you can get versus. As a personal user of their services I can tell you that they are very pleasing. I wish you all the best of luck.

Bob | 8:29 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

This is like a nightmare in my football life!

Ken Baguley | 8:32 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

The phone number in PA is NOT IN SERVICE for the Comcast people...They certainly don't care about the residents and fans in the MWC..I'd start dumping them as a service...A lot of couldn't get the service if we wanted to...They just aren't everywhere and can't compete in any other way except at the expense of the fans.

Just called Comcast | 9:08 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Harmon had the number wrong as mentioned above. It's 215-665-1700. One of Brian Roberts' assistants took down all my contact info and my complaint about not being able to get "the mtn." in California. Start calling now MWC fans! And direct your call to Brian Roberts, the CEO. Calling the corp comms person doesn't help one bit.

Hostage situation | 9:56 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

This article hits the nail on the head. Comcast is holding MWC fans hostage, and then asking us to beg Dish and DirecTV to agree to the outrageous ransom demands.

Comcast/TheMTN needs to lower the ransom price (per subscriber fee), which from media reports seems to be the main sticking point for the satellite folks.

It seems clear that the MWC and Comcast have completely different goals when they setup this TV deal. The MWC hoped to improve distribution of MWC sports, and Comcast seems to only care about increasing their cable subscriber base.

The problem is that Comcast seems to hold all of the cards, and the MWC schools and their fans will be used as hostages until the lousy contract runs out.

Mad as heck | 10:13 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I like everyone else am so frustrated... I say we just make a mass call in to Comcast and flood them with calls making them experience the wrath of the fans and experience large call times. They want to play us... let's take it right back to them.

Steve | 10:17 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Executive disaster by Mountain West Conference.

Internet streaming | 10:21 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Don't forget that in the initial announcement of the CSTV deal, there was lots of talk about making MWC sports as widely available as possible, including live streaming over the internet.

However, in a recent interview with the Provo Daily Herald newspaper, Kim Carner, General Manager of the Mtn, said that "the Mtn. won't be made available for live streaming on the internet in order to keep the pressure on the satellite companies."

These guys have absolutely NO concern for MWC fans. Making the games available over the internet would be a good stop-gap solution that would make fans happy, would increase their revenue, and would do NOTHING to decrease the pressure on the satellite companies. I watched the BYU-Utah game over the internet last year (from Europe), and nobody is going to accept watching a tiny window on the computer screen as a substitute for watching it full-screen on a good TV.

By not offering streaming internet of the games, the only thing they are doing is showing their COMPLETE and TOTAL disregard for their customer base (MWC fans).

Why would Comcast listen to us? | 10:23 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Help me understand why the following argument would be persuasive to Comcast:

"Hey you bunch of Comcast S.O.B.s, you should make a deal with DirecTV and Dish Network so I can dump your crappy service and switch to satellite."

They have us by the proverbial stones and they know it . . . and its in their best interest to simply ignore the complaints and make MWC fans bite the bullet and get or keep cable.

I CANNOT STAND TimeWarner Cable, the Comcast provider here in SoCal, so I switched to satellite as soon as I moved from my condo (where we had subsidized cable). Their customer service was the worst in any industry I have ever seen. That said, I'd probably sign back up, just for football season, if DirecTV can't get the mtn. and if TimeWarner finally offers it here in SoCal.

*#@&@^%*(@%

What's the pitch here? | 10:32 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

What are we supposed to ask Comcast to do? Make a business move that will arguably not be in their best interest? At least with the satellite companies the argument makes sense: "Get a deal done to get the mtn. or I'll drop my subscription and go elsewhere." With Comcast, the threat rings hollow: "Get a deal done so that the satellite companies can carry the mtn. SO I CAN GO ELSEWHERE."

I can't stand Comcast and will call President Bush if I thought it would help. I'm just not optimistic that calling Comcast makes any sense.

That's why I'm increasingly ticked off at the MWC knuckleheads that brokered this deal in the first place.

On one positive note, I did realize that between network, Vs. and CSTV (all of which I can get on DirecTV by adding the sports package) I can get 6 of the 12 games. The others I suspect I'll be watching on a 3" screen with internet direct feed over the CSTV site.

Wildzombo | 10:49 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Just think of all those Comcast subscribers around the country that would be willing to pay to be able to get the MTN as part of a sports package? Yet from what I am hearing-Comcast does NOT offer the MTN except in a few areas that they cover. I used to have Direct TV but switched so I could get the MTN where I live. (SL County) If Comcast is looking for revenue-flip the switch and add the MTN to ALL areas that you serve. Even if it is a premium type channel out of the Mountain West footprint.

Suggestion for DNEWS!! | 10:50 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Hey, guys. You do a great job keeping fans informed on these "negotiations.

Here's another idea: Have one of your DNews writers construct a couple well-written form letters that readers can print out from your website and mail in. I think the biggest deterrent to fans writing letters is the time it takes.

This would be like a huge petition, but a lot more annoying for the networks.

Anonymous | 10:58 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Lets revolt against Comscast the old fashion way. Someone with a little technology skills needs to set up and distribute a "rogue" brodcast on the internet for free. Now that would be sticking it to the Comcast man.

Anon. | 11:37 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Would it be feasible for someone with access to the non CSTV/VS games to capture them to video, say, by quarter, and put them up on YouTube per the previous idea? YouTube could handle the volume, and access would be had by all. It would be a great way to showcase the volume of demand from viewers who have no other way to access the game.

I'd do it if I weren't in the "blackout zone" myself.

Heck, I'd rather watch it on YouTube a few days later, and at 240x360, than not at all.

Civil | 11:59 a.m. Aug. 30, 2007

If you truly want to revolt, then cancel your comcast subscription! Nothing says "I'me revolting" better than taking your dollar away.

CoogFan | 12:06 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Comcast cannot complain about the mote in Directtv/Dish's eye, and ignore the beam in their own. Why won't they carry the mtn in all of their networks if it is indeed a good deal? Comcast cries alligator tears becase the big bad stallites won't carry the mtn ... but do they really care about MWC fans hungry for distribution of their team games? If they cared they would offer the mtn on all their network. If they cared they would offer MWC games on the 12 or more networks they presently broadcast on satellite, Comcastn Sprts Director, Tim Fitzpatrick (tfitzpatrick@comcastsportsnet.com), recently bragged that Comcast is a veteran for getting networks on satellite, pointing to successes with a dozen other Comcast networks carried by satellite, including E!, The Golf Channel, Style, Sprout, G4, AZN, and regional sports networks in Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, San Francisco, and Sacramento, as well as cstv and versus." Then the solution to our present conundrum is simple ... couldn't/shouldn't Comcast temporarily make available mtn games on one of these channels (or CSTV) so the millions of us who cannot get the mtn ... indeed cannot get Comcast ... can enjoy their teams until a "fix" is made?
People/fans are sick and tired of the run around they are getting from the mtn/comcast, and are starting to realize who the real fox in the hen house is ... they are looking you, comcast, in the face! The fan base is turning on Comcastic after two years of failure... after two years of begging and pleading with the satellite companies for Comcast, patience has run thin. If Comcast were working hard at it, as they say they are, it would be accomplished.

Me | 12:14 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

The current result is stalemate......the call should be for dissolving the conference and ridding ourselves of the mtn. and hair thompson. A call for a new conference... minus the cellar dwellers and the new addition of Boise State is now the way to go. Im sure the word of the MWC going bye bye will get some attention from comcast. The university presidents are probably already in the process.

lovemyfootball | 12:15 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

As you say, the Mountain West Conference will kick off the 2007 season with more planned TV games than any time in history. Yet there is a conundrum, for if all those many broadcasts are not heard because of lack of distribution rights lost in a vacuum of cyberspace ... do they really make a sound?

MWC Football | 12:51 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Why doesnt everyone, atleast here in utah just do what i did, drop the dish, sign up with comcast on their 'drop the dish' special, and enjoy a full season of local college football. You all can sit there and can complain and be unhappy but in the end who really loses their, YOU! just sign up and enjoy it!

GO UTES!!!

Borat | 1:03 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Iï¿½m going to guess that this might have something to do with it too.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10322796

Comcast probably wants The Mtn. in every home that they have to put the Big 10 channel in. To say that the MWC deserves the same exposure as the Big 10 seems a bit overstated, but Iï¿½m sure it has come up in negotiations.

phone # | 1:05 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

correct phone # 215-665-1700

Anonymous | 1:42 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I'd love to sign up but I can not get it where I live. I just moved to Eagle Mtn. from Florida and and can not get comcast. I was able to watch about half of the games in Florida. Cable is not available in Eagle Mtn.

cougarfan | 2:11 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

The deseret news won't publish anonymous letters to the editor, for good reason. Relying on an anonymous "expert" for a column is really lame. If he/she really has inside info and are credible, why won't they give up their name?

cackalackycoug | 2:53 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I just called 215-665-1700 and got thru after several minutes on hold. I spoke with an executive assistant who was to relay the info to Stephen Burke. I got to say I was a little nervous, but if we all call in, maybe we'll make a difference. Go Cougs!

Anonymous | 3:01 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

The expert wasn't anonymous to the newspaper -- they just withheld his name to protect him.

I just called the correct number, (215)665-1700. When I told the woman who answered that I needed to speak with someone about the mtn, she sounded very annoyed. Hopefully that means they've been getting a lot of calls. Everybody needs to call EVERY DAY to keep up the pressure!

Ryan | 3:10 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Another Comcast warning:

WIth no other choice, I called Comcast today to subscribe. I only had 2 criteria, I wanted Versus, CSTV and the mtn., and I wanted a DVR.

No problem they said. Except there was a problem. They will only give DVRs now to people who subscribe to their most expensive package ($120 a month).

So if you want a DVR and BYU fooball, you get hosed. They made that decision 2 weeks ago. Just another reason to love them.

Joey | 4:24 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Everyone assumes that if the channel is there people will watch. We seem to forget that Mtn West fans who really care about their teams make up a very small portion of the television viewing audience.

Why doesn't Comcast make the MTN available in all of their markets? There is not a lot of demand. If there was a lot of demand, Dish and Direct TV would have signed up already.

The only team that sells out home games is BYU. If our league can't even sell out our games, how do we expect to get favorible TV deals?

If I were a Satelite Exec, I wouldn't want to pick up the MTN either. If I were the Comcast CEO and started to get calls from MTN west fans, I would probably, just drop my support of the Channel all together. I heard it was losing money anyway.

Steve | 5:04 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

We are wanting to take out our frustrations on Comcast. However, Comcast negotiated an agreement that should never have been signed by the conference and its schools. Given where we are now it is hard for me to justify beating up on Comcast. An agreement was made and we have to abide by it.

What I don't understand is why any fan would have Comcast. I don't and because of this I NEVER will buy a Comcast product. I have "suspended" by Direct TV subscription until they have the MTN. Most fans complain but few actually give up their TV--the only real way to protest!

I really, really hope that those who negotiate our next agreement will be more competent.

UMM | 6:38 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

Umm, well steve, as a fan i would buy comcast so I can watch my teams when I cant make it to the stadium. Seems logical to me. Im not quite sure why you wouldnt get comcast if your a fan.

fedup | 7:37 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

the only way to get out of this agreement is for fans to drop Comcast. For the good of the football nation endure a little pain now to eliminate a long painful future. The sooner the MTN folds the sooner we all get the games again.

steve s. | 8:10 p.m. Aug. 30, 2007

I'd get Comcast in a second to see the games but they won't run a line into my subdivision despite cable presence in surrounding subdivisions. They tell me it would be too costly and they are not certain they would recoup costs. I'm left with KSL and my imagination.

AfricaCoug | 6:19 a.m. Aug. 31, 2007

Living overseas (watched the games online last year on cstv.com), I'm finally hooking up a SlingBox to my mom's Comcast cable (she lives in Utah), and will now get the game on my computer directly recorded from her subscription. Although we did have to upgrade her service to get the DVR, it will be worth it.
I suggest finding anybody (friend or relative) to hook up the slingbox ($130 one time purchase) and then you can watch the games over the internet, connecting to the slingbox. Just a thought.

Dish is at fault | 9:44 p.m. Sept. 6, 2007

I really would like to hear from a Dish rep. I would like to know why you won't sign. Word is that Comcast is offering a fair price and for some reason Dish is holding out. How come Dish declines to comment? Why can't they come out and tell us whether or not they are going to carry the MTN and why?

Egon | 3:33 p.m. Sept. 27, 2007

I would really like someone from Comcast to explain why they don't even allow a pay-per-view service (even on the internet) for Mtn games. There are a lot of people out there who have no other option of getting Mtn games and are willing to pay $15 a game for this. Wouldn't cost Comcast much to do this. They're leaving money on the table.

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