Comments on: How Programming Decisions Are Made http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:09:50 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: eenscoin http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-674 eenscoin Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:21:46 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-674 Family members recommended Wow! to me and I switched because I was unhappy with a competitor's service as well as their price hikes. However, I watch two channels that are not offered on Wow!'s service, namely Cloo and Hallmark HD -- there are two Hallmark channels; I would like to see Wow! offer these two channels. It would really make my switch worth it then. Right now I am happy but I could be happier. I would hate to switch to another service provider. Mrs. Samwise Family members recommended Wow! to me and I switched because I was unhappy with a competitor’s service as well as their price hikes. However, I watch two channels that are not offered on Wow!’s service, namely Cloo and Hallmark HD — there are two Hallmark channels; I would like to see Wow! offer these two channels. It would really make my switch worth it then. Right now I am happy but I could be happier. I would hate to switch to another service provider.

Mrs. Samwise

]]> By: Steve Zeiden http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-110 Steve Zeiden Tue, 11 May 2010 14:00:51 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-110 Bismark, yes, we will be carrying the Cooking Channel. Fine Living Network is changing their name and programming to Cooking Channel on May 31st. This is on WOW! Digital Basic Cable, channel 213 in Evansville, and channel 318 in all other areas (Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago and Detroit) Bismark, yes, we will be carrying the Cooking Channel. Fine Living Network is changing their name and programming to Cooking Channel on May 31st. This is on WOW! Digital Basic Cable, channel 213 in Evansville, and channel 318 in all other areas (Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago and Detroit)

]]> By: Bismark http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-109 Bismark Tue, 11 May 2010 03:41:02 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-109 Ok, I couldn't find a better place to put this, so here goes: In the past few weeks the FOOD Channel had been advertising the COOKING Channel that will start the end of May. Will WOW be carrying it? Just asking. Ok, I couldn’t find a better place to put this, so here goes:

In the past few weeks the FOOD Channel had been advertising the COOKING Channel that will start the end of May. Will WOW be carrying it?

Just asking.

]]> By: theclaw http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-101 theclaw Mon, 03 May 2010 13:04:23 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-101 Admit it, you guys were trying to be sneaky by adding in Versus HD.:)Feel free to do that in the future, I like surprises... Admit it, you guys were trying to be sneaky by adding in Versus HD.:)Feel free to do that in the future, I like surprises…

]]> By: Cathy Kuo http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-99 Cathy Kuo Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:22:35 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-99 I realize that can be frustrating to see channels that are available in the Chicago suburbs but not in the city. One of the primary reasons why that occurs comes back to the issue of available bandwidth or capacity. We are obligated and required to carry several channels in the city that don't apply to the suburbs. As a result, they consume some of our shelf space that we might otherwise use to deliver channels that customers have requested. There are other reasons too. For example, we typically don't carry all of the regional sports networks in each of our markets -- just the ones that make the most sense regarding local teams. And sometimes for whatever reason, we hear from a lot of customers in one market about a certain channel that doesn't come up in others. Those are some of the things we balance when we make our decisions. Hope that helps in some way to answer your question. I realize that can be frustrating to see channels that are available in the Chicago suburbs but not in the city. One of the primary reasons why that occurs comes back to the issue of available bandwidth or capacity. We are obligated and required to carry several channels in the city that don’t apply to the suburbs. As a result, they consume some of our shelf space that we might otherwise use to deliver channels that customers have requested. There are other reasons too. For example, we typically don’t carry all of the regional sports networks in each of our markets — just the ones that make the most sense regarding local teams. And sometimes for whatever reason, we hear from a lot of customers in one market about a certain channel that doesn’t come up in others. Those are some of the things we balance when we make our decisions. Hope that helps in some way to answer your question.

]]> By: caq54 http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-97 caq54 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 15:03:25 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-97 I, too, have left several channel requests to no avail. What I don't understand is that the channels I am requesting are available on WOW in other service areas. I live in the city of Chicago, but we don't get some of the channels that they get on the suburban Chicago WOW line-up. All I'm asking for are channels that WOW has, apparently, already contracted for since they are available in other service areas. I, too, have left several channel requests to no avail. What I don’t understand is that the channels I am requesting are available on WOW in other service areas. I live in the city of Chicago, but we don’t get some of the channels that they get on the suburban Chicago WOW line-up. All I’m asking for are channels that WOW has, apparently, already contracted for since they are available in other service areas.

]]> By: Cathy Kuo http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-80 Cathy Kuo Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:23:01 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-80 Thanks for your comments, jdfuss. You're correct, I neglected to mention competition. We do consider what other folks are distributing, and I didn't call them out specifically as we tend to see that effect come through from our customer requests and feedback from our service representatives and other employees. Specific to MLB Network, we did meet with them and I recognize they are building a following. There are a couple of reasons why we have chosen not to carry them at this time. As with lots of the sports networks that are out there, we might be willing to distribute them if we could carry them in a separate package. That would allow customers who are willing to pay to watch the channel to do so, without having to force the higher cost of sports programming onto a larger customer base that's not interested. Unfortunately, at this time, that is not an option available to us from MLB Network. Additionally, MLB offers MLB.tv over an Internet connection so there are options for fans to access a lot of the content and games they may want. I recognize that's not the same as having the channel available, but it is a viable option for many folks. There are definitely a lot of baseball fans out there, and we do carry a lot of baseball games and shows across the various sports networks and local broadcast channels that are available on our line-up today. As you say, we accept that we won't be able to make everyone happy. But I assure you we do our best to carefully weigh the various factors in the decisions that we make. I do appreciate your feedback on how we respond to customers who make channel requests. When I receive an email directly from a customer, I do my best to answer it personally or find someone who can provide the right answer. However, I don't always see the standard online forms and so maybe there's a better way for us to help customers understand our intentions around carriage of a specific channel. I'll work on that and hopefully your suggestion will benefit others in the future. Ugh. I hate to lose you as a customer because of a channel. I empathize with what you're going through (I'm here in Colorado with a dog named Fenway...); but, for the reasons I stated above, we do not have plans to launch MLB Network. Maybe MLB.tv is an option for you? :) Regardless, thanks for asking the question and giving me an opportunity to respond. Thanks for your comments, jdfuss. You’re correct, I neglected to mention competition. We do consider what other folks are distributing, and I didn’t call them out specifically as we tend to see that effect come through from our customer requests and feedback from our service representatives and other employees.

Specific to MLB Network, we did meet with them and I recognize they are building a following. There are a couple of reasons why we have chosen not to carry them at this time. As with lots of the sports networks that are out there, we might be willing to distribute them if we could carry them in a separate package. That would allow customers who are willing to pay to watch the channel to do so, without having to force the higher cost of sports programming onto a larger customer base that’s not interested. Unfortunately, at this time, that is not an option available to us from MLB Network. Additionally, MLB offers MLB.tv over an Internet connection so there are options for fans to access a lot of the content and games they may want. I recognize that’s not the same as having the channel available, but it is a viable option for many folks.

There are definitely a lot of baseball fans out there, and we do carry a lot of baseball games and shows across the various sports networks and local broadcast channels that are available on our line-up today. As you say, we accept that we won’t be able to make everyone happy. But I assure you we do our best to carefully weigh the various factors in the decisions that we make.

I do appreciate your feedback on how we respond to customers who make channel requests. When I receive an email directly from a customer, I do my best to answer it personally or find someone who can provide the right answer. However, I don’t always see the standard online forms and so maybe there’s a better way for us to help customers understand our intentions around carriage of a specific channel. I’ll work on that and hopefully your suggestion will benefit others in the future.

Ugh. I hate to lose you as a customer because of a channel. I empathize with what you’re going through (I’m here in Colorado with a dog named Fenway…); but, for the reasons I stated above, we do not have plans to launch MLB Network. Maybe MLB.tv is an option for you? :) Regardless, thanks for asking the question and giving me an opportunity to respond.

]]> By: jdfuss http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-78 jdfuss Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:54:17 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-78 You mention three criteria for which channels WOW carries but you didn't mention an important one: Your competition. I am a big baseball fan. I suffered last year because WOW doesn't carry the MLB Network. But your competition does and they are after my business with lower rates and all the stations I want. I followed the WOW process and made the channel request for MLBN, from the webpage and by phone, half a dozen times as the year went on. Not once did I get a reply. Now baseball season is coming up, and I take it my only choice is to switch providers. From this blog entry, you seem to understand that and accept that will happen, i.e., you try to satisfy the majority of customers and apparently WOW doesn't think baseball fans are in the majority. I understand this; I don't agree with it, but I can accept it. What will make me mad, as I really love WOW, is to find out days after I switch providers that WOW finally realized they need to carry this network, because when that happens, I am not coming back. I have two suggestions: I recommend you add "competition" to the criteria WOW considers relevant on this topic, as somehow your competitor has this channel and at a lower rate than WOW. My second point is WOW isn't providing customers who make channel requests any feedback (at least I got none), so we have to assume that when changes aren't made that the channel isn't coming and we better look elsewhere. Which is what I am doing now. You mention three criteria for which channels WOW carries but you didn’t mention an important one: Your competition. I am a big baseball fan. I suffered last year because WOW doesn’t carry the MLB Network. But your competition does and they are after my business with lower rates and all the stations I want.

I followed the WOW process and made the channel request for MLBN, from the webpage and by phone, half a dozen times as the year went on. Not once did I get a reply. Now baseball season is coming up, and I take it my only choice is to switch providers. From this blog entry, you seem to understand that and accept that will happen, i.e., you try to satisfy the majority of customers and apparently WOW doesn’t think baseball fans are in the majority. I understand this; I don’t agree with it, but I can accept it.

What will make me mad, as I really love WOW, is to find out days after I switch providers that WOW finally realized they need to carry this network, because when that happens, I am not coming back.

I have two suggestions: I recommend you add “competition” to the criteria WOW considers relevant on this topic, as somehow your competitor has this channel and at a lower rate than WOW. My second point is WOW isn’t providing customers who make channel requests any feedback (at least I got none), so we have to assume that when changes aren’t made that the channel isn’t coming and we better look elsewhere. Which is what I am doing now.

]]> By: Barbara Kubereit http://thewowbuzz.com/blog/customer-experience-support/how-programming-decisions-are-made/comment-page-1#comment-75 Barbara Kubereit Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:52:14 +0000 http://www.thewowbuzz.com/?p=1313#comment-75 Hi Cathy, Based on some of the feedback I received on the "I Love Feedback" article, there's lots of folks interested in getting all the best channels and want to know how those decisions are made. I think your article answers all of those questions. Awesome article! Thanks for sharing. Hi Cathy,
Based on some of the feedback I received on the “I Love Feedback” article, there’s lots of folks interested in getting all the best channels and want to know how those decisions are made. I think your article answers all of those questions. Awesome article! Thanks for sharing.

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