New TWC Channel 1111

[Tom Snyder]

Thanks to Tim Cuprisin:

Wisconsin On Demand: Video on demand with a variety of local appeal shows...parades, sports-related shows, restaurant reviews, local and community shows.

Not the full-time news channel planned for next spring. Not a HiDef channel, but requires digital cable.

Yawn....

Tim's Column

[The Law]

Once again, Sales and Marketing reels it's ugly (re: malinformed) head.  And I'm not just talking about TWC, mind you...it's an infection of marketing type folks "thinking" (and I use that term loosely) that people want "warm fuzzies" as apposed to getting what you pay for.

The article cites "Time Warner is using its customer appreciation event Saturday morning at Miller Park to launch one of the more innovative cable channels in the country." and then mentions "will use "video-on-demand" technology for a changing array of programs about local communities and Wisconsin"

Who wants a "changing array" of tv shows about "local communities..."  This smacks of local access channel type crap with money thrown at it.

Then, the propaganda states "Southeast Wisconsin's cable behemoth is lining up an impressive array of programming, including two sports shows not airing locally: "The Barry Alvarez Show" and the Green Bay Packer-produced "GTV," aimed at younger fans"

Impressive??? ooohh - 2 sports shows not airing locally - I feel priveleged.  This is low budget cable crap.  There are all kinds of channels "not airing locally"   Now, most folk would not mind as much should this just magically appear - and, as you have it, neither would I - but to have all this pomp and circumstance regarding a cheesy local waste of bandwidth smacks of marketing not being aware of what peeps want out of a paid subscribtion service.

"The channel could feature restaurant reviews and major local events like parades." - are you kidding me!  Renting (or borrowing - whatever) Miller Park, wasting advertising time, and, apparantly, Forum space, on bloody restaurant reviews and  2 sport shows (did we mention "not being aired locally") all in the sake of blocking out an entire timeslice of attention (11:11 - COUNT DOWN TO USELESSNESS) to me, is like seeing a commercial for the bleeding heart local news ("are the sharp edges of stop signs causing our nations youth bloody fingers! - more at 10:00!!!!" - or even more compelling - IT MIGHT SNOW THIS WINTER - CHECK OUT THE CAMERA AT THE MARQUETTE INTERCHANGE WITH OUR SHIVERING UNDERDRESSED HOTTIE)

Sorry If I offend any one - but this is such a joke.

ps...I could give a rats ahole that it ain't HDTV - it's guano nonetheless.

My apologies for the rant - it's like I said a few posts ago - Elton and Harley......

[Tom Snyder]

Eloquently stated... and right on target.

It's just more of the typical corporate mentality that says "we know EXACTLY what you want, but we're gonna give you crap instead, and promote the heck out of it to make you "think" that it's great and  that THIS is what you "really" want."

[Urwhatuis]

OUCH . . . .

[kjnorman]

The Law well said!

80% of everything on cable is a complete waste of space, and as for local news?  Don't even get me started....

[Tom Snyder]

This all just baffles me.

When I was in radio, we researched like crazy.. . before we launched a new format, we did tons of research among the Milwaukee radio listening audience to find out what format was missing, or was being done so poorly by an existing station that we could do it better. When we had made the decision on the format (and every month once it launched), we did research on every nuance of the format... Call letter, station nickname, personalities, morning show bits, postioning statements, music mix... even individual songs.

We didn't put a single thing on the air that  we weren't already confident would result in a positive audience response.  

You'd think a company the size of TWC would have a clue!

[Mrtanner]

You captured the essence of the absurdity and made me laugh, too.  (Well at least until the reality kicked in.)

What bothers me is the phrase"...one of the more innovative cable channels in the country." are Tim Cuprisin's words and not TWC's.

[mhz40]

Wow... touchy group tonight.  The article also quotes it "is still "a work in progress," says Bev Greenberg.  I guess everyone jumped over that part looking for HD news.

I work for TW and think this has at least some potential... like a place to put things like replays of the Miller 200 at the Milw mile, or all of the races from Slinger.  For a few bucks I'd even watch some of the concerts from Summerfest if the production quality was even halfway decent.  So at one level, having local content is fairly innovative.  On another, it may give some places like Slinger Speedway a boost in local interest and maybe even more revenue.

Milwaukee RADIO?  Please, don't even get me started.  Radio here has sucked for decades now...and there is literally no end in sight.  Hence the rise in AM and talk radio.  Hell, I'd rather listen to current topics on AM after channels go to low-power than listen to another round of Layla on KLH or the newest pop sensation being repeated on KTI every 20 minutes.

I'm not a researcher---or in marketing, but I don't need to be one to tell me that promoting a new service available to every one of my 200,000 digital subscribers is better than promoting the launch of an HD service to less than 5% of them.  Don't reply with the song and dance of how much ALL of you spend w/TW.  There are at least a few out here in the forum doing the broadcast-only HD thing on the cheap.

The LAW states 80% of cable is a waste... well 98% of satellite programming is also on cable, so that would put satellite in the same boat.  What's left? C-band?  The Law also stated it was uhhh lets see... where's my quote - - - "but to have all this pomp and circumstance regarding a cheesy local waste of bandwidth smacks of marketing not being aware of what peeps want out of a paid subscribtion service."  VOD is not a waste of bandwidth.  Someone literally has to order the showing... which implies the bandwidth is not wasted, since once the event is over; bandwidth is again released for someone else's use.  Now pair that up with Faux 6, sucking up 18 mb/s for 480p 24/7/365... THAT's sucking up bandwidth.

The differentiator right now between cable & satellite is VOD and soon-to-be HD VOD.  On-demand services ARE what customers WANT and it's the future of television.  If every channel's content isn't your idea of 'value', that's cool---cuz 95% of the cable subs out there could give two hoots about HD services.  That won't stop the launch of HD-VOD though, so I guess that makes things a-OK.

MHz

[AndrewP]

Cannot disagree more on VOD.
I never ordered something and cannot imagine ordering something on VOD. I already paid too much for basic + premium services. Only several times ordered PPV movies (using coupons).
If I want a movie I usually rent DVD (only $1 per 5 days in Kenosha Hollywood Video).
I don't know where TWC is heading. But I am not in marketing either.
I can agree only on FAUX waste. And nobody can even see them without cable.

Andrew

[mhz40]

Originally posted by AndrewP
[clip] Cannot disagree more on VOD.
I never ordered something and cannot imagine ordering something on VOD. I already paid too much for basic + premium services. Andrew [/clip]

Based on results it's pretty hot, and a good portion of the offerings are already included with your digital service (free)... A&E, TechTV, HGTV, CourtTV, Comedy Cental, BBC America etc...  Maybe it's like the DVR.  Once you try it, you never want to go back...  

If you have premium services, for $6/month flat rate, you get an all-you-can-watch package that includes matching VOD services  on all of the digital boxes in your house.  So if I had HBO & Showtime, I'd get unlimited HBO & Showtime VOD on all of my digital converters for $6/month.

Once again, it's no bandwidth hog.  It actually is very efficent, since no bandwidth is wasted on streams no one is watching... like MPTV Extra?

[AndrewP]

Maybe it will work for somebody else, but not for me. I can have DVR from Dish for free  service charge because of the programming volume. And maybe I will go with Dish 921. But not sure yet.

Andrew

[foxeng]

Originally posted by mhz40
I work for TW and think this has at least some potential...

I'm not a researcher---or in marketing, but I don't need to be one to tell me that promoting a new service available to every one of my 200,000 digital subscribers is better than promoting the launch of an HD service to less than 5% of them.  Don't reply with the song and dance of how much ALL of you spend w/TW.  There are at least a few out here in the forum doing the broadcast-only HD thing on the cheap.

I am sorry, I have to laugh (and I don't even have a dog in this fight!). The old adage, "those who live in glass houses..." This is just an observation and is not intented to get any flames started, but I am sure it will. I apologize ahead of time.

It is quite apparent that mhz40 is towing the TW line. That is to be expected. It is his livelihood he is talking about here and he wants to put the best spin on it. I do not blame him. I have been known to do that myself from time to time in the interest of self preservation.

Now pair that up with Faux 6, sucking up 18 mb/s for 480p 24/7/365... THAT's sucking up bandwidth.

But he doesn't mind throwing stones when things don't go to suit him. I try not to do that myself. Your mileage may vary on that and that is OK by me.

I personally do not care for cable for many reasons ranging from service to price, but if my neighbor thinks it feels right for them, then who am I to say anything? The people who work for cable (and I have several good friends who work for TW Cable locally and we joke about it all the time) are due a paycheck too and to decide how they want to run their business. My personal opinion is that VOD isn't the panacea that cable would like it to be, but then AM Stereo was going to save AM Radio too and it turned out not to be a stereo solution but a drug addict named Rush who did that.  So much for the experts! You never really know what the public wants, That why we play the game. (oh, wrong sport, sorry)

One man's waste of bandwidth is another man's pot of gold. "Glass houses..."

Just my unwanted opinion to light things up a little.

[gb4fan92]

*************************************************
So if I had HBO & Showtime, I'd get unlimited HBO & Showtime VOD on all of my digital converters for $6/month.
*************************************************

 Correct me if I'm wrong but if I have the new DVR box I wouldn't need VOD for HBO or Showtime?? I'd just record what I want. (I'm still holding out for the HD model.  Due out at the end of the year right?).

[neomaxi]

Another wasted Channel.  HDTV is the future TW!!!!
Get your head our of your A##!!!!!

[mhz40]

Originally posted by foxeng
I am sorry, I have to laugh (and I don't even have a dog in this fight!). The old adage, "those who live in glass houses..." This is just an observation and is not intented to get any flames started, but I am sure it will. I apologize ahead of time.

It is quite apparent that mhz40 is towing the TW line. That is to be expected. It is his livelihood he is talking about here and he wants to put the best spin on it. I do not blame him. I have been known to do that myself from time to time in the interest of self preservation.



But he doesn't mind throwing stones when things don't go to suit him. I try not to do that myself. Your mileage may vary on that and that is OK by me.

I personally do not care for cable for many reasons ranging from service to price, but if my neighbor thinks it feels right for them, then who am I to say anything? The people who work for cable (and I have several good friends who work for TW Cable locally and we joke about it all the time) are due a paycheck too and to decide how they want to run their business. My personal opinion is that VOD isn't the panacea that cable would like it to be, but then AM Stereo was going to save AM Radio too and it turned out not to be a stereo solution but a drug addict named Rush who did that.  So much for the experts! You never really know what the public wants, That why we play the game. (oh, wrong sport, sorry)

One man's waste of bandwidth is another man's pot of gold. "Glass houses..."

Just my unwanted opinion to light things up a little.

No flames here... but I'm not towing the line.  I see the future different than some.  I see a future where the majority of the bandwidth capacity of a coaxial cable system will be used to stream content to customers based on what they want and when they want it, not grant dedicated space.  If you see it differently, great.
TW spent nearly $250 million upgrading their system --- and that's just locally.  When you invest that much, you have to be creative on how you manage it.  Like it or not, group; HD is not the mainstream.  As more units are sold, more programming will be there...just as more production trucks to produce the content will.