Fellow television watchers:
The city of Boston does not recieve Fox Soccer or GolTV in HD while surrounding communities that Comcast services do. In March, I found some big wig email address and wrote him - his assistant promptly replied. There's been no action here in Boston concerning the issues we have raised. Now the landscape has changed and BEIN Sports is the new GolTV, starting Aug 15. Today, I again wrote Mr. Robert Grove (see below, along with the other correspondence from March). I will keep this forum posted.
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Mr. Grove,
In early March I wrote you concerning the addition of Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV in the high-definition format for the city of Boston, MA. Marc Goodman promptly responded saying, " We plan on finalizing this decision in the coming weeks." Not only has it been a couple of weeks, it's been a couple of months and still there's been no appreciable action taken by Comcast to hand down a decision as to whether or not Boston will continue to be deprived of 21st century broadcast quality for these two networks while many other Comcast communities - even those that border the city of Boston - receive these two channels in HD!
Comcast's two largest nationwide competitors carry these channels in HD. There is only one company that can provide land-line service in the city of Boston, as I am sure you know - that company being Comcast. Direct TV or Dish Network and Verizon have some sort of lame deal that allows them to operate here as well, but satellite service is not a viable option for many people in the city, and effectively creates a monopoly for Comcast. Consequently, the people here do not get to enjoy the benefits that other Comcast subscribers/neighbors receive, and that creates a resentment that I am sure you can understand. Comcast can forget about upgrading Boston, doing so at their own benevolence, because it's a sure bet that they have already won the eyeballs as there is no direct competitor. We know that there are major behind the scenes politics going on here in this city, that's how Boston works - one hand washes the other with lots of dollar bills; you do this, I'll do that for you; the mentality is not a secret - and, this leaves the people/your subscribers out in the cold when all they want is two pitiful tv channels to be broadcast in a definition representative of the 21st century technology that Comcast seems to pride themselves on delivering, not the 20th century fog we can recieve at this time.
Complicating this matter, now, is the fact that there is a new channel set to start broadcasting on August 15th that will render GolTV basically useless - the end is near for them - and the following year might also eat the heart out of Fox Soccer Channel as well. As I am sure you know, BEIN Sport, has basically decapitated GolTV, and they are not even on the air yet! Adding FSC in HD might appease us minions for now, but if Comcast really wants to shut us up and show its omnipotence, make it a priority to add BIEN Sports - in HD, of course - to the channel line up. Maybe you all could throw us pleebs here in Boston a bone and preview this channel before the rest of the country gets it. We, here in Boston, are really embarrassed for Comcast that it's taken so long to get FSC and Goltv in HD, so long, in fact that soon one of these stations will be in the grave. Hopefully we will not miss the birth of a new channel simply because we live in Boston.
So, in summation: Add Fox Soccer Channel in HD now, and add BEIN Sports in HD the following day. GolTv in HD, dont even bother, it's like a sixth finger, useless. Focus and just do it. Let Boston enjoy your benevolence. You might get an Employee of the Month award for doing this, and you'd surely get our thanks.
Sincerely,
Comcast Customer
R*
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Initial Letter from March 2012
Mr. Grove,
Is it ever going to happen that we, here in boston, can get fox soccer channel in HD? Same with GOLTV!!!! Is it not embarrassing enough that it is not available in the channel lineup while your competitors carry it? It's as if those two stations are mired in the twentieth century definition (TCD)! we are twelve years into the twenty first century and every other sports channel - even the GOLF channel! wow - is in HD except these two? What's more, is that other localities in the country with comcast receive these two channels in HD!!!!! And here, in the boston area, you have a diverse group of citizens from every corner of the WORLD who are FORCED to watch these channels in TCD. I mean, why even offer the channel in its current definition (HD with the sides lopped off, and fuzzy standard definition-like viewing conditions). Would you all even consider those particular viewing resolutions up to the standard you would expect of "xfinity" or comcast in general? If it were my company i would be chagrined to offer that product, and if i did offer it i certainly would not be proud of it. As a company, I am wondering, are you proud of the current product? Get the ball rolling! Dont just kick it down the road!
Sincerely,
R
Reply to above
Hi R –
Bob Grove forwarded your email to me for a response. We’re looking at our options on the possibility of adding both of those HD channels later this year in the Boston area. We plan on finalizing this decision in the coming weeks. I’ve passed your feedback along to our programming team. I’ll keep you informed on our plans if that’s helpful as well.
Thanks again for your feedback.
Marc
BTW: I live in Attlebro MA
