Time Warner's Fiber Optic Expansion Initiative has already netted Strongsville gains
Cleveland.com - Feb 21, 2013
http://www.cleveland.com/strongsville/index.ssf/2013/02/time_warners_fiber_optic_expan.html
Thanks to a public-private
partnership with Time Warner Cable, the city’s business and technology park
will be a lot more attractive to businesses.
The cable company will be bringing high-speed, fiber-optic
communications systems, including phones, cable and internet, to the city’s
four business parks. And they’re doing it all for free.
The cable company won’t cite how much the project is costing
them, but Strongsville Economic Development Director Brent Painter said it
would have cost the city more than $1 million to do the work.
“This is a really big deal for our businesses,” he said.
And it’s already starting to pay off.
Painter said two companies have announced moves into the
park, off Foltz Industrial Parkway.
“(The fiber-optic project) played a major role in bringing in Foundation
Softwareand IMARC,”
Painter said.
And it also helped net the city a $215,000 grant from the
Ohio Department of Transportation to help extend Foltz Parkway to Boston Road,
opening up hundreds of acres of land for future development.
Travis Reynolds, Time Warner’s media relations manager for
the Cleveland/Akron area, said the Fiber Optic Expansion Initiative is part of
a multi-million dollar drive by the cable company’s business service, Time
Warner Cable Business Class, to extend its services to businesses nationwide.
“Historically, the business community has been under-served
for business-grade, innovative telecommunications services,” Reynolds said in
an email.
Painter said the same was true in Strongsville.
“There were parts of our business parks where you could get a
faster connection in a residential neighborhood than at a business,” Painter
said. “So it was frustrating to our business, and to us in the city, as well.”
The new fiber-optic cables, which are glass cables about the
diameter of human hair that are able to transmit infrared light rays across
long distances at an extremely high rate of speed – up to 10 gigabytes per
second, Reynolds said.
“Through the hard work, dedication and commitment of our
local and Regional teams, this expansion initiative results in more choices,
innovation and efficiency in business operations for businesses of all sizes,”
Reynolds said.
Construction on the project, which is ongoing, began last
fall, and the company is expected to announce more details about the plan at
the Feb. 21 Business Network Breakfast.
___________________________________________________________Lorain Council wants to grill Time Warner executives
Elyria Chronicle-Telegram - Feb 19, 2013
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2013/02/19/lorain-council-wants-to-grill-executives-from-time-warner/
Complaints about Time Warner Cable service have sparked a
renewed call for company executives to appear at a City Council public hearing.
“I don’t think it’s asking too much when they’re getting the
money from residents of this city,” Councilman Eddie Edwards, D-5th Ward, told
Mayor Chase Ritenauer at Monday’s Council meeting.
Prompted by constituent complaints of frozen or pixilated
images, Councilman Dan Given, D-at large, in
December asked for a hearing.
Ritenauer in December said he expected a hearing would be held in January, but
it never occurred.
A Dec. 19 article in The Chronicle-Telegram about Time
Warner service prompted several calls and emails from around Lorain County and
as far away as New York state from customers complaining about pixilation problems.
Ritenauer told Edwards he met with Time Warner representatives last month and
relayed complaints.
Ritenauer said they told him phone records showed complaints
from Lorain were no greater than in other communities and they are looking at
the quality of cable boxes in Lorain. Ritenauer urged residents with problems
to call Time Warner and document complaints.
The call for the hearing came with as Time Warner reported
making a $156,415 franchise fee payment to Lorain for the fourth quarter.
Ritenauer said Lorain receives about $600,000 annually from Time Warner which
had about $19.7 billion in annual revenue in 2011 and serves about 1 million
customers in Northeast Ohio.
Reached by phone after the meeting, Travis Reynolds, a Time
Warner spokesman, said he was unsure if company executives would be willing to
attend a hearing. Reynolds asked customers with complaints to call the company.
“Our main goal is to make sure our customers are happy and
getting the service they’re paying for,” he said. “If there's an issue, we encourage them to contact us to resolve it.”
___________________________________________________________
Time Warner Cable to raise rates
Erie Times-News - Jan 15, 2013
Some Time Warner Cable
customers will be paying more to watch television starting in February.
The
New York City-based cable provider is increasing the price of its cable TV
packages for customers who don't bundle their cable with Internet or phone
service, said Time Warner spokesman Travis Reynolds.
Time
Warner serves 15.3 million subscribers, including almost 1 million in western
Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio.
"Our
average video rate increases 4 percent," Reynolds said. "But 82
percent of our customers are in bundled packages, and their rates aren't
increasing."
The
monthly bill for subscribers who have the company's Standard package will
increase from $73.99 to $75.99.
DVR
service will also increase to $12.99 a month, and the Sports Pass tier will
rise to $8.99 a month.
Time
Warner's rate hike comes after satellite TV providers DirecTV and Dish both
announced rate increases of their own.
DirecTV
will increase the price of its programming packages by an average of 4.5
percent, starting Feb. 7, while Dish raised the price of its packages this
month between 7 and 20 percent.
The
reason for Time Warner's increase is that the company is paying more for
programming, Reynolds said.
"The
reality is that program providers are charging us more for their
entertainment," Reynolds said. "So we have to adjust rates to our
customers."
Time
Warner posted a revenue increase of 9.2 percent to $5.4 billion for the third
quarter of 2012 compared to the previous year.
___________________________________________________________
Projections for modest Erie job growth exceed U.S. expectations
Erie Times-News - Jan 9, 2013
Just one in four U.S. companies plans to hire full-time employees in the year ahead, according to an annual study by CareerBuilder.
But there's reason to believe the outlook in the Erie region might be better than that.
Kurt Rankin, an economist for Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group Inc., said that prediction is rooted in the region's recent track record.
In a newly released outlook for northwestern Pennsylvania, Rankin projects employment growth of 1.8 percent for 2013.
That would represent a modest goal in normal economic times. But even now, more than three years after the recession ended, the economy continues to sputter.
"Normally, you would see growth of 2 to 4 percent out of a recession," Rankin said.
In relative terms, however, the economy of western Pennsylvania, including Erie, has been a bright spot.
Of the nine economic regions PNC tracks in the mid-Atlantic states, western Pennsylvania, not including Pittsburgh, has been the strongest performer over the past three years and is expected to post the strongest numbers in 2013.
With job growth projected at 1.3 percent, Washington, D.C., ranks a distant second.
"It's been the best among all those regions," Rankin said. "No other market performed as well in 2011 or 2012."
In Erie, as in much of the Midwest, the recovery has been fueled by a resurgence in manufacturing jobs. Those gains have pumped money into local economies, fueling recent improvements in retail and the broader service sector.
"That hasn't happened to the same extent in the national economy," Rankin said.
There are limits, he said, to the extent to which any local economy can outpace the U.S. economy. Manufacturers depend on customers from across the country and around the world to buy their products.
"If the rest of the country doesn't pick up, demand for those exports eventually peters out" and growth slows, he said.
Some believe we're already seeing that slowdown. Rankin's projected growth for the region is down from 2.6 percent in 2012.
Mark Turner, owner of Career Concepts, an Erie-based staffing company, said demand for temporary workers is lackluster.
"I would use the words flat and subdued," he said. "I think there's more uncertainty, especially with regard to Obamacare coming in and also all the taxes. Companies are taking a step back."
But there are bright spots to be found. Travis Reynolds, a spokesman for Time Warner Cable, said his company is looking to fill 40 sales positions immediately.
Carol Capan, employer relations manager for Penn State Behrend, is optimistic.
"With the college market, things are trending up," she said. "We saw a big resurgence a year ago in technical recruiting and we are starting to see an uptick in the business sector."
But few things are easy. "It's very competitive," she said. "Students have to put their best foot forward."
___________________________________________________________
Spotty cable service has Lorain residents turning on provider
Elyria Chronicle-Telegram - Dec 19, 2012
Some Time
Warner Cable customers say the company doesn’t get the picture about bad
reception.
City
Council members are considering holding a public hearing next month to ask Time
Warner to address customers’ complaints about pixilated images on their
television screens.
“There’s
no commitment. There’s no information. They feel like they’ve got you over a
barrel,” Councilman Dan Given, D-at large, told fellow Council members at
Monday night’s meeting. “They basically tell you to shut up and send them a
check.”
Given
said his request for a hearing was in response to an email from Loraine
Ritchey, co-chairwoman of the Charleston Village Society, a neighborhood
improvement group, and calls from a few other constituents.
Time
Warner Cable, which serves about 1 million customers in Northeast Ohio and had
annual revenue of $19.7 billion last year, pays about $600,000 in annual
franchise fees to Lorain, according to Mayor Chase Ritenauer.
Because
of the payments, Given said, Council members have, “an obligation to see if we
can increase and provide better service to our people within this community.”
Ritchey
said Tuesday that she received about 100 complaints from residents countywide
after making a Saturday post on lorain.com. In May 2011, Time Warner spokesman
Travis Reynolds told The Chronicle-Telegram a “technical issue that was
corrected overnight with a software update” addressed complaints of frozen or
pixilated images from Lorain County and other Cleveland-area customers.
Reynolds
on Tuesday said he was unaware of any recent widespread area problems.
“That would lead me to believe
that this is kind of a couple of instances at various houses,” he said.
Ritchey, who sent a complaint letter in June 2011 to Glenn Britt, Time Warner chairman and CEO, said the company is downplaying the problem.
Ritchey, who sent a complaint letter in June 2011 to Glenn Britt, Time Warner chairman and CEO, said the company is downplaying the problem.
“They’re
aware. They lie,” she said. “This is a spiel they give and they have been
giving that spiel for the last year and a half. It’s been over two years that
this is happening.”
Ritchey,
who pays a nearly $150 monthly fee for cable and computer service from Time
Warner, wrote a follow-up letter to Britt on Monday and one to the Federal
Communications Commission. The FCC letter notes that the customers pay a
regulatory fee to the commission in their bills.
“Therefore,
I would like your assistance to determine whether or not Time Warner Cable will
be upgrading their service to the area, stopping the freezing and pixilating
issues or stop charging for a service that is not satisfactory,” Ritchey wrote.
“I have searches on my blog every day from all over the United States with the
same complaint. Obviously, there is a huge problem.”
Given
said Tuesday the purpose of the proposed hearing isn’t to beat up on Time
Warner Cable.
“Maybe
if we make them aware what’s going on, we’ll have better service and happier
customers,” he said.
___________________________________________________________
TV Guide Channel Makes Changes
Lorain Morning Journal - June 20, 2012
Time Warner Cable
customers who have tuned in to channel 13 to look at the TV Guide Channel
recently, will not have found what they were looking for.
The TV Guide channel has not only moved, they have changed their format, according to Time Warner communications manager Travis Reynolds.
“That channel did move,” Reynolds said. “The channel moved to 230, which is in our digital channels.”
The change occurred last week after TV Guide decided to get away from the channel listings and focus more on their own programming, according to Reynolds.
The TV Guide channel has not only moved, they have changed their format, according to Time Warner communications manager Travis Reynolds.
“That channel did move,” Reynolds said. “The channel moved to 230, which is in our digital channels.”
The change occurred last week after TV Guide decided to get away from the channel listings and focus more on their own programming, according to Reynolds.
With the change in channel numbers comes a change in
who is able to watch the TV Guide channel.
In order to view the channel, viewers will need a digital box connected to each television, according to Reynolds.
“To add a box, it would be an extra cost,” Reynolds said. The cost, which is $8.95 per box per month, allows the viewer access to the digital channels.
Some people have not noticed the change while others have.
Deb Brady said she might change carriers because of the change to the digital channels.
“The shows on there were great quick way to see what was on,” they said. “Now its on a premium channel ... which costs more.”
In order to view the channel, viewers will need a digital box connected to each television, according to Reynolds.
“To add a box, it would be an extra cost,” Reynolds said. The cost, which is $8.95 per box per month, allows the viewer access to the digital channels.
Some people have not noticed the change while others have.
Deb Brady said she might change carriers because of the change to the digital channels.
“The shows on there were great quick way to see what was on,” they said. “Now its on a premium channel ... which costs more.”
Other
people agreed.
“I hate that they moved TV Guide channel,” Tammy Stringer-Smith said.
But some people said they had other ways of finding out what’s playing.
“If you just hit guide (button on the remote), it comes up,” Joe Poplstein said.
Marcy McKee Novak said using the guide button is a good way to see what’s on.
With the changes coming from TV Guide Channel, Reynolds said people can contact the TV Guide Channel about the changes at (918) 499-6308 or email them at tvgnfeedback@tvguide.com.
“I hate that they moved TV Guide channel,” Tammy Stringer-Smith said.
But some people said they had other ways of finding out what’s playing.
“If you just hit guide (button on the remote), it comes up,” Joe Poplstein said.
Marcy McKee Novak said using the guide button is a good way to see what’s on.
With the changes coming from TV Guide Channel, Reynolds said people can contact the TV Guide Channel about the changes at (918) 499-6308 or email them at tvgnfeedback@tvguide.com.
Although Brenda Shepherd is
battling breast cancer, she still colors herself lucky. Extremely lucky, in
fact.
The 54-year-old Akron woman said
she probably would not have received the mammogram when she did were it not for
Time Warner Cable’s MammoVan, a mobile unit that happened to be on site in
December.
Shepherd, who has been employed at
Time Warner for 12 years, said she had delayed making an appointment for her
annual mammogram because she had been dealing with “a few surgeries last couple
of years” and had been somewhat distracted. It had been two years since her
last mammogram.
However, the MammoVan was there one
morning and the convenience made it possible for her to take 10 minutes of her
day and get the mammogram. It revealed she had five lumps in the left breast;
two turned out to be malignant.
Shepherd had actually missed the
sign-up for the MammoVan but she got the green light from Finance Director
Michelle Keller anyway. “Doctors caught it early enough and I’m getting the
treatment I need,” Shepherd said, adding. “I do believe that saved my life.
“I would like to see more of these
vans at other workplaces. How convenient that would be.”
Travis Reynolds, manager of
communications for Time Warner Cable, said the MammoVan has been very well
received by employees: “We believe a happy work force will lead to happy
customers, which is why we put so much focus on employee benefits. Having the
MammoVan on site creates a very convenient opportunity for people to be
screened for breast cancer.
“People are so busy with family and
work commitments that we oftentimes put our medical needs on hold until there’s
an emergency. By offering employees the chance to step away from the office for
about 10 minutes to visit the MammoVan, we’re giving them the chance to have
this very important, lifesaving test done.”
Time Warner provided three MammoVan
opportunities last December and has hosted two more so far this year at
workplaces in Northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Stephen McHale, CEO of Explorys Inc., took a break from
playing drums on the House of Blues stage in downtown Cleveland to take a mike
to sing, Sick of You.
The crowd of nearly 500 ate it up, along with food ranging
from appetizers to burgers and tickets for two free drinks. Although the
University Circle-based health care data company promoted the Feb. 1 Rockin Big
Data event as networking to reward employees, customers and supporters, it
shared an objective of aiding its recruiting efforts.
Welcome to recruiting in the information technology world,
where job and career fairs are growing as companies vie for talent with skills
in high demand from programming to data mining, regardless of how high general
unemployment rates rise.
The mass meetings also are gaining favor among the few less
technology-oriented employers with large numbers of jobs to fill or fill fast.
Charlie Lougheed, Explorys president and chief technology
officer, said including prospective candidates at the party was worthwhile to
fight brain drain in the region as well as to woo talent for the company whose
mission is to bring big data resources to health care.
One of the toughest things to do is recruit exceptional
talent, whether you have 50 employees or 5,000, Mr. Lougheed said. We are
seeking the best and the brightest to build this company and already recruit at
major colleges,. We compete with Google in Pittsburgh and Ann Arbor. Both Facebook
and Yahoo use similar technologies. Moreover, unemployment is virtually
nonexistent in the big data field.
Fair fight for talent
In the case of Explorys, it hopes to hire as many as 50
people over the next year to double its 50employee staff. The company already
sees recruiting becoming more competitive than it was three years ago when it
first set up shop with three employees, Mr. Lougheed said.
About one-third of the House of Blues crowd was prospective
hires, and Explorys has extended offers to two people it met through the event.
Setting the tone that Explorys is a challenging and rewarding place to work
paid off unexpectedly, he added: Hits on Explorys website climbed. Twitter
mentions of the show abounded.
Other recruiting-oriented events may lack the panache of
House of Blues, but are providing more bookings for local hotels and other
meeting places by companies with specialized or large head-count hiring needs.
At Hyland Software, the fastexpanding software company
deliberately chose its Westlake headquarters as the site for its recent career
expos. While known for having a slide and other amenities popular at tech
employers, the companys decision went beyond that, to shake up its traditional
recruiting efforts at colleges.
With any new job, I encourage people to check out the
environment they would be working in, said Sarah Justice, Hylands team leader
of employee programs and recruiting. But the people (such as executives and
team leaders) at the event are the selling feature.
Hyland developed its career expo to play on the idea of
college career fairs where students meet a large number of employers, she said,
and extends it to its varied job openings. Its events are held in the evenings
to attract people already in the work force or with daytime commitments.
However, the purpose of the session was to add a personal
touch to Hylands recruiting efforts.
It gives candidates a chance to network beyond the website,
Ms. Justice said. Sometimes people fill out an application online and they feel
it goes into the abyss. The events also give prospects a chance to sell
themselves beyond the standard introductory interview.
While tech specs abound in jobs, Hyland wants to look beyond
that. As a tech company, we want to find candidates with a passion for
technology, Ms. Justice said. They may have a technology education, work in
technology or work with computers on their own.
Hylands first expo last March drew more than 500 people; it
hired 30. The event worked so well that Hyland will hold another one March 24.
Its hiring needs are great: The 1,500-person company had to fill 200 jobs last
year and it has 150 to fill this year.
Chance to stand out
Companies with lesser tech requirements but large hiring
goals also take the job fair route.
The northern Ohio and western Pennsylvania region of Time
Warner Cable has held recruiting events both at a large call center it operates
in Garfield Heights and at the Crowne Plaza in Independence.
The company found job fairs allow it to fill more positions
at once than waiting for applicants through its website and develop a pool of
prospective hires for the future.
At a Sept. 28 job fair in Garfield Heights, Time Warner was
hiring customer service personnel so it wanted to give prospects a feel for the
work environment, according to Travis Reynolds, Time Warners communications
manager. The event drew 329 people and helped the company fill 47 positions.
Time Warner used the Independence hotel for a Feb. 8 job
fair to hire people for outside sales of its cable, phone and Internet
services, Mr. Reynolds said. During that fair, Time Warner interviewed
candidates on the spot and filled three jobs of 27 available at the event, he
said.
When planning a job fair or career expo, most companies
require advance registration, if only to ensure they have enough staff
available to handle the number of people who may attend.
We ask for registration to know the number of attendees,
then step aside, Ms. Justice said of Hyland. We did not want individuals to
feel like they were pre-screened. We want to give them a chance to say, This
makes me different. Others require registration to ensure applicants have the
correct skills to eschew job seekers trying to win work on their personality
alone.
Explorys tapped a very broad job network with its party. Mr.
Lougheed said that in the days since, it has gotten applications from relatives
of customers or health care personnel who were there.
___________________________________________________________
Time Warner Cable opens new locations
Akron Beacon Journal - Nov 18, 2011
Time
Warner Cable has revamped some of its payment centers to become retail stores,
where company officials say customers can browse the latest products while waiting
for a customer service representative.
Recently, the Akron center moved
from its location in the Midway Plaza on Brittain Road north to 1919 Brittain
Road, across from Chapel Hill Mall. Another center in Wadsworth also moved
around a corner to 102 High St.
“It’s a sleek, new cool way for
customers to interact with us and experience products and services,” said John
H. Higgins Jr., area vice president of operations who heads the Northeast
Ohio/Western Pennsylvania division.
Higgins said the company spent
about $600,000 on the two new locations. Nationally, the company is opening new
retail stores and Higgins said there are plans for a few new locations in his
division next year, but he can’t give any specifics.
Unlike the traditional customer
service locations, at the retail stores customers are not encouraged to stand
in a line waiting their turn for a representative, said spokesman Travis
Reynolds. Customers are asked to sign in and then roam the store until their
name is called.
Still, it takes awhile to get
people out of the habit, as visitors on a recent day were still forming a line
behind the sign-in sheet. The Akron location is already open and will celebrate
with a grand opening today.
Brenda Castellaneta, supervisor of
the retail store in Akron and Kent, said customers should have a quicker
experience at the new locations, since there is also a new automated payment
kiosk where people can pay their bills with a credit card, cash or checks.
While the old Brittain Road
location was long and narrow, the new location is wider and brighter inside,
said Castellaneta. The number of employees at the store remains the same at 10.
“I think in a lot of ways, it’ll be
faster and give us time to spend with customers that need more time,” she said.
Customers come to a store or sales and service center for a variety of reasons,
including paying bills in person or swapping out cable boxes or giving new
orders, she said. Representatives can also help with customer service issues.
Higgins said the new locations are
better for customers.
“Historically, many of the payment
locations were not in good retail locations. They’re kind of off the beaten
path. The idea here is we have the opportunity to move to more customer
friendly locations and higher retail locations,” he said.
___________________________________________________________
Time Warner Cable rates to go up in Erie area
Erie Times-News - Nov 2, 2011
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011311029949
The price of watching television is about to go up, at least for Time Warner Cable customers who don't bundle their cable service with their telephone or Internet service.
Beginning with their November billing cycle, cable-only customers in this area will see the standard cable rate increase by 5.7 percent from $69.95 to $73.99 a month.
But most customers won't pay the higher rate, said Travis Reynolds, a spokesman for the company.
He said the rate hikes don't apply to the approximately 65 percent of Time Warner customers who buy bundled services. Typically, he said, those customers lock in rates for one or two years.
"Bundling and looking for those volume rates are the best way to keep your bill down," Reynolds said.
Higher rates will also apply to cable-box and DVR rental.
Reynolds said cable-box rates will increase $1, to $8.95 a month. DVR service will also rise by $1, to $10.95.
Why are cable rates increasing?
"One of the main factors here is programming costs, which are increasing at a staggering rate. Nearly 40 cents of every dollar a customer pays goes back to the programmers," Reynolds said.
"As they are demanding higher fees from us in addition to our higher cost of doing business, we have to adjust our rates accordingly."___________________________________________________________
Fire suppression system knocks out cableNews-Herald - Oct 28, 2011
http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/10/28/news/doc4eab423cf00ec336668709.txt
Time Warner Cable Communications Manager Travis Reynolds said a fire suppression system at the Mentor facility was triggered, igniting a loss of cable service throughout the greater Mentor area Friday evening.
Mentor Fire officials said firefighters had responded to the scene. While there was no fire, there was a power issue at the building.
Cable service was out over the area from about 6:15 to 8:15 p.m.
It is unknown what triggered the fire suppression system.
Reynolds said Time Warner handles credit dispute situations on a customer-by-customer basis. Anyone with credit questions can contact customer service at timewarnercable.com or by calling 1-877-77-CABLE.
___________________________________________________________
THREE FOR TRAVIS
Ohio Media Watch - July 11, 2011
http://ohiomediawatch.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/changes-and-other-stuff/
Time Warner Cable local spokesman Travis Reynolds has sent us quite a few interesting items, but we haven’t gotten around to posting them yet. Now, we will.
* The dominant local cable system is jumping into the Harry Potter craze with both feet. Travis tells us that there are actually still (as of late Monday morning) free vouchers for tickets to see an opening day screening of the latest Harry Potter film:
Time Warner Cable customers can receive free movie ticket vouchers for an exclusive, opening day screening of the final Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 3D.The vouchers, while they last, are only available at TWC’s Strongsville office on Dow Circle, and not at other TWC offices. The vouchers do not guarantee you’ll get a seat – we imagine the show will be packed – so the cable company advises those who get the vouchers show up early at the theater.
The vouchers, redeemable for four (4) general admission tickets to the July 15, 1:05 p.m. show at Cinemark Valley View, are available at Time Warner Cable’s Strongsville store. Vouchers** will be distributed to Time Warner Cable customers on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Travis also tells us they’ll give away four tickets and various Harry Potter promotional items this week via the TWCable_NEO Twitter account.
The TWC giveaway is just one of two for the cabler in the entire company – the other showing is in Staten Island NY…
* Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania TWC customers can now add Digital Cable services they don’t already have, such as premium movie channels…directly from their digital cable box.
How it works:There’s nothing in the TWC press release about being able to shut off Digital Cable services (i.e. removing a premium network like HBO) via the box, so we’ll assume you’ll still have to pick up the phone for that…
• When a customer tunes to a channel not currently subscribed to, a prompt will appear offering the opportunity to upgrade and listing the price.
• The customer presses the SELECT button and the order is placed. If the customer has established a Purchase PIN for ordering Movies On Demand they will be required to enter it at this time. (Note: Time Warner Cable recommends that every customer utilizes the purchase PIN and parental control PIN features to avoid unexpected charges.)
• Once the purchase is accepted, a confirmation screen appears and the new service will be available. If an error occurs the customer will be prompted with a phone number to call Time Warner Cable to complete the transaction.
* The cable company has beefed up its iPad app. From a release:
TWCable TV™ 2.0 includes a variety of brand new features including over 100 live channels, an enhanced program guide, remote DVR manager, and the ability to change channels on your set-top box from your iPad. Now you can watch even more of your favorite networks on your iPad from any room in the home.The iPad app is free to TWC video customers with broadband Internet service, and is available, as always with iOS, in the iTunes Store. If TWC plans a similar app for other tablets (Android, etc.), it hasn’t announced such plans…
___________________________________________________________
Company and customer at a stand-off over an old debt: Plain Dealing
Cleveland Plain Dealer - May 28, 2011
http://www.cleveland.com/consumeraffairs/index.ssf/2011/05/company_and_customer_at_a_stan.html
The Question: I signed up for cable and, a month later, my service was disconnected without warning. Time Warner said they did an audit and discovered I had an unpaid account with them from Southern Ohio three years ago.
My records show I settled that debt in full for $80. The cable company says they don't accept settlements and that I still owe them $130. They won't reconnect my cable unless I pay.
-- Samantha Holmes, Cleveland Heights
The Answer: When the marketplace hums along the way it should, a business delivers its product or service as promised, and the customer pays as agreed.
In this case, Time Warner provided you with cable, but you didn't pay.
So at the outset, I think we have to acknowledge that you weren't the wronged party. You were the party in the wrong.
That said, there are rules about debts and debt collection.
When Time Warner hired a debt collector to find you, you did what consumers sometimes do when confronted with an old debt they're not keen to pay or fight: You settled.
"Settling in full" doesn't mean paying the full amount.
It means you and the company compromise: You agree to pay less than you actually owe and, in return for your partial payment, the company agrees to consider the account fully paid and cease collection efforts.
These settlements usually are negotiated, but you chose a more take-it-or-leave-it tactic.
You sent the collector a check for a portion of what you owed, wrote clearly on the memo field that by cashing the check, the company agreed the debt was settled in full. You wisely enclosed the check in a letter reiterating the same terms.
Does cashing the check preclude the company from trying to collect the remaining debt?
Yes.
Akron consumer attorney Todd Willis says that under a state Supreme Court decision called Allen v. RG Industries, people can settle debts in full by clearly writing those terms on a check for partial payment and if the company accepts the payment, it agrees to the terms.
A company cannot try to collect on a debt that was settled in full, Willis said.
You and Time Warner are in a poker game. You played a full house. It claims it's holding a straight flush.
Company spokesman Travis Reynolds says the contract you signed both times you came to Time Warner for cable contains this clause: "You cannot settle amounts you owe us by writing 'paid in full' or any other message on your bill or check."
In other words, the company says its one-way terms trump yours.
"It's fuzzy," said Ellen Holland Keller, a Cleveland attorney who, like Willis, handles consumer cases. "Legally, you could argue it both ways."
That is, both attorneys said, if it's worth arguing at all.
Time Warner didn't sic debt collectors on you again or ding your credit report – which actually might give you a juicier legal issue to spar about in court.
Instead, and this is admittedly a subtle difference, the company is saying it will extend its services to you again only if you make good on that old account.
The size of the dispute – $130– puts you in small claims court territory, and small claims courts resolve money squabbles. They can't force a company to take you on as a customer.
Getting 100 television channels isn't a fundamental right. It's a luxury.
You're free to go elsewhere – satellite TV, Netflix, your local library's DVD section -- for your entertainment needs.
But neglecting bills has consequences, and one of those may well be that the company you stiffed isn't that eager to welcome you back.
Consumer Wise If a collector contacts you about a debt you know that you owe, settling may be an option.
If the debt was sold, the collector likely paid a fraction of the amount he's trying to collect – which gives you more room to negotiate.
Consumer attorney Ellen Holland Keller advises consumers to get a written agreement from the debt collector that the negotiated payment represents payment in full before making any payment.
If you want the company to agree to not to report adverse information to the credit bureaus, get that in writing, too.
Alternatively, you can write on a check's memo field and on the back of the check that the payment represents "payment in full." To be safe, attorney Todd Willis recommends clearly writing the conditions in both the memo field and on the back of the check, above the endorsement line.
He recommends enclosing the check in a letter that repeats your terms and getting delivery confirmation.
Some companies will not negotiate, but if a settlement is made, collectors and the original creditor are all bound by the terms.
Because debts get sold and resold, collectors may erroneously try to collect on paid or settled accounts years later. To protect yourself, keep your correspondence about the debt and proof of payment in your records.
To keep bills from going astray when you move, file a change of address form with the post office and give your new address to banks, landlords and the companies you do business with.
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Time Warner says “freezing” channel problem is fixed, customers can get a credit
Elyria Chronicle Telegram - May 4, 2011
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2011/05/04/time-warner-says-freezing-channel-problem-is-fixed-customers-can-get-a-credit/
Time Warner Cable TV customers who have had their fill of “freezing” channels the past few days should now be able to watch everything from “Sportscenter” to “Cake Boss” without any interruptions.
That, according to Travis Reynolds, Time Warner Cable spokesman in the company’s Akron offices, who said the problem was the result of a “technical issue that was corrected overnight with a software update.”
“As of right now, everyone should have service fully restored,” Reynolds said.
Cable customers will be able to receive credit on their bills for the interruption in service, he added.
The issue affected cable customers across the greater Cleveland area including Time Warner subscribers in Lorain County, but Reynolds was unable to provide estimates of how many households were affected by the technical glitches, which made themselves known in the form of “frozen” images on channels, or pixilated images that appeared to repeatedly break up, form, and then break up again. “They were intermittent interruptions and there was a randomness to them,” Reynolds said. “There’s no way to pinpoint the numbers of people who may have been affected.”
The problems began for many viewers late Sunday night or early Monday morning, as attested to by customers who aired their complaints on forums including the Chronicle-Telegram’s Facebook page.
Asked for an explanation of what caused the “freezing” images, Reynolds declined to provide a detailed answer.
“There’s no way to do that, really,” he said. “As you might imagine, our network is pretty complex. It’s hard to explain beyond that. It’s a pretty technical reason.”
Reynolds said the trouble only impacted cable TV service, but did not have any adverse effects on Time Warner customers who also have their Internet and/or phone service with the company.
Cable customers can receive credit on their monthly bills for the days their service was interrupted by calling the company’s customer care department.
“We handle credits on a case-by-case basis,” Reynolds said. “Interruptions were so random, not every customer was impacted.”
The number to call is 877-772-2253.
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Time Warner Cable Reports Technical Issues Have Been Resolved
WEWS Channel 5 Newsnet5.com - May 4, 2011
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/money/consumer/troubleshooter/time-warner-cable-reports-technical-issues-have-been-solved#ixzz1WcWH7K5o
CLEVELAND - Time Warner Cable technicians say they have finally solved a mystery that was causing a host of signal problems over a widespread segment of its high-definition and standard-definition channel line-up during the past 48 hours.
"The problem was caused by a software update issue," said Travis Reynolds, Time Warner communications manager. "We apologize to all of our great subscribers for any inconvenience it may have caused."
Time Warner Cable confirmed the intermittent interruption in its digital service, causing thousands of consumers in several Northeast Ohio communities to lose high definition and standard television service.
Consumers contacted the 5 On Your Side Troubleshooter unit to report their television picture was "freezing" and was unwatchable.
NewsChannel5 contacted Time Warner Cable headquarters in the search for answers. The cable company reported the interruption in service in the following communities: Mentor, Strongsville, Eyria, Maple Heights, Cleveland, Lorain, Port Clinton, Mablehead, Geneva, Chardon, Vermilion, North Olmsted, Concord and surrounding cities.
Consumers can call the Time Warner customer service line at 1-877-77-cable or 1-877-772-2253 or reach Time Warner Cable support at: http://www.timewarnercable.com/neowpa/support/
Time Warner Cable is offering a credit to consumers, who dealt with "picture freeze" over the past two days, on case by case basis.
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Cable Provider Rearranges Lineup to Make Room for HD
Elyria Chronicle Telegram - April 9, 2011
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2011/04/09/cable-provider-rearranges-lineup-to-make-room-for-hd/
ELYRIA — No, you’re not going crazy — some cable stations aren’t where they used to be.Cable Provider Rearranges Lineup to Make Room for HD
Elyria Chronicle Telegram - April 9, 2011
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2011/04/09/cable-provider-rearranges-lineup-to-make-room-for-hd/
Time-Warner Cable this week began to rearrange nearly 15 channels on its Expanded Basic lineup to free up room for the addition of more HD channels, according to Time Warner spokesman Travis Reynolds.
This week’s realignment comes about a year after a far more extensive set of changes made to Time Warner’s digital and HD channel lineups in March 2010 when all digital channels were regrouped in the 100 to 399 positions, and all HD channels were moved from the 400 to 1,000 block.
Reynolds said all customers should have received a revised channel lineup in the mail last week.
“Customers can also search for lineups and other information by county, and then by individual communities at twcguide.com,” Reynolds said. “Everything takes up a certain amount of space on the network, and this allows us to utilize the network better and make it more efficient by making more room.”
He likened the addition of new HD channels including OWN (the Oprah Network), GSN (Game Show Network), Oxygen, The Hub, a Nickelodeon-like channel for children, YES, HBO HD On-Demand and Cinemax HD On Demand to downloading a movie on a computer.
“It takes a long time because it’s (a movie) is a lot larger file,’’ he said. “HD channels are similar to those kinds of files.”
The new HD channels are expected to be added this month. Reynolds later said the HD additions are something the firm “is tentatively planning to add.”
Some channels will move into Time Warner’s digital format and will only be available for customers who have a digital box, which costs $7.95 a month.
“Customers who now have no digital box can receive one for 12 months at no cost,” Reynolds said.
However, once the 12-month period is up, customers will have to pay $7.95 a month to continue receiving digital channels.
Subscribers who already have an HD box automatically receive digital channels at no extra charge, Reynolds said, but those with digital boxes do not automatically receive HD channels.
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Fox Sports Pittsburgh Changes Name
Youngstown Vindicator - April 2, 2011
http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/apr/02/fox-sports-pittsburgh-changes-name/
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
Friday’s Opening Day telecast of the Pittsburgh Pirates-Chicago Cubs game from Wrigley Field was the debut of a new name for an old favorite.
The Pittsburgh-based regional sports channel FSN Pittsburgh, the home to 150 Pirates telecasts per season and at least 70 Pittsburgh Penguins games, has changed its name to Root Sports.
Also changing their names were FSN Rocky Mountain and FSN Northwest. FSN Ohio, home of Cleveland Cavaliers telecasts, is retaining its name.
“The name, Root Sports, reflects the networks’ new approach and core brand values,” said Geoff Walker, vice president of marketing for DIRECTV Sports Networks. “Our new brand has a double meaning that we believe is unique in sports broadcasting. We are taking this opportunity to distinguish ourselves from other regional sports networks.”
Company officials say the new name reflects that their networks are grounded in their respective communities.
“It also acknowledges the idea of rooting for the home team to win and be successful,” Walker said.
While the look and feel of the Root Sports broadcasts will be different, all of the existing team partnerships and programming remain intact as do the distribution agreements with cable and satellite operators.
Armstrong Cable, which services Boardman, Austintown, Canfield and Poland, carries Root Sports on Channel 33 and High Definition Channel 179.
Time Warner, which services Youngstown as well as much of Trumbull and Columbiana counties, does not carry Root Sports and has no interest in the cable station even though Pittsburgh is about 65 miles from Youngstown and carries 220 telecasts of regional interest.
“We do not have immediate plans to add FSN Pittsburgh/Root Sports to our channel lineup where it is currently not carried,” said Travis Reynolds, Time Warner Manager of Communications in Akron.
Reynolds cited cost as a factor.
“Our goal is to keep the fees we pay to networks as low as possible because they directly impact cable bills,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said that because Time Warner does not have an agreement with Root Sports, the cable system cannot drop FSN Ohio and replace it with Root Sports. FSN Ohio carries about 70 Cavaliers games but its broadcasts of Cincinnati Reds and Columbus Blue Jackets games are blacked out in this market.
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Police Say Be On Lookout For Cable Guy Crook
AkronNewsNow.com - March 30, 2011
Akron Police are warning residents about a man impersonating a Time Warner Cable repairman and stealing valuable items from homes.
This individual has been talking his way into homes and stealing pocket items from unsuspecting residents.
Three incidents have been reported in the last week. The locations are the 600 block of Sherman Street, 200 block of Twin Oaks and 1700 block of Northampton Road.
Time Warner Spokesman Travis Reynolds tells AkronNewsNow.com that all Time Warner customers set up their appointments and do not show up unannounced.
"Our service calls are pre scheduled , so if they come without calling, it's probably not legitimate."
Time Warner and Akron Police say the imposter will disconnect the cable from outside the residence, then knock on the door to have the residents check to see if their cable is out.
Once a person checks things out, the suspect will take things from the house. The suspect then tells the homeowner he needs to go out to his truck, at which time he flees the area.
Police are looking for a white male, 5'07" "“ 5'09", 125 "“ 140 lbs., thinly built, brown hair, with green or light blue eyes. He is wearing a blue or black hooded sweatshirt with a Time Warner Cable logo and navy blue baseball hat. He is missing a front tooth or has bad teeth. The male is also wearing a Time Warner Cable identification card around his neck. No vehicle has been seen.
"No one should ever have a stranger in their home," Reynolds said. "When in doubt, call Time Warner or call the police.
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Time Warner Maps Changes to Cable Channel Positions
New Philadelphia Times-Reporter - March 14, 2011
http://www.timesreporter.com/news/x1777806664/Time-Warner-maps-changes-to-cable-channel-positions
By Jim Martin
Have you noticed a change in your cable bill?
Some in the area are only now realizing that the cost of basic cable service and some Internet services increased in late 2010 for customers of Time Warner Cable.
For customers in the city of Erie, basic cable charges rose 14.9 percent from $13.75 a month to $15.80.
The cost for Erie County customers living outside the city remained unchanged at $21.85, said Travis Reynolds, a spokesman for the company.
Although Time Warner raised rates for some Road Runner Internet users, a majority of Time Warner customers were not affected by the rate increases.
"Nearly 60 percent of our customers are in some type of value pricing plan and were not impacted by this change," he said.
Reynolds said prices that did increase rose by varying amounts.
"There was no one flat-price increase that applied to everything," he said.
Reynolds said rising prices could be attributed to the company's own increasing expenses.
"The increases are a result of increased business costs," Reynolds said. "We have seen double-digit increases in program costs and license fees that we pay to networks."
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Time Warner Cable Customers Face Another Blackout
Akron Beacon Journal - January 14, 2011
http://the330.com/on-screen/television/time-warner-cable-customers-face-another-blackout/
Once again, Time Warner Cable Inc. subscribers face the possibility of losing one of their local network TV stations.
Time Warner is still trying to reach a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. on the fees that Time Warner pays to carry Sinclair’s station. The two sides said Friday they have agreed to a second extension, so the existing contract now expires at midnight Saturday.
After that, local affiliates of Fox, CBS and ABC could go offline for some Time Warner customers. No NBC stations will be affected. In Ohio, Sinclair has television stations in Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.
In an e-mail to the Beacon Journal, Time Warner spokesman Travis Reynolds the ongoing negotiations will have a “minimal” impact on Northeast Ohio.
“Time Warner Cable and Sinclair Broadcasting are currently negotiating a carriage agreement for Sinclair-owned TV stations throughout the country,” Reynolds said. “While we do not anticipate Sinclair will remove any channels from Time Warner Cable customers, the situation in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania is relatively minor.”
Reynolds noted that the Sinclair-owned properties in the Northeast Ohio area have the following alternative options for network programming:
Channel Impact Alternate Channel
ABC: WSYX Columbus (available in Mansfield-area) WEWS
Fox: WTTE Columbus (available in Newcomerstown-area) WJW
Fox: WPGH Pittsburgh (available in Sharon, PA-area) WYFX & WTRF
My Network: WPMY Pittsburgh (available in Sharon, PA-area) myWTV
If there is a blackout, Time Warner says customers will still be able to see network programming. It plans to replace signals from Sinclair with feeds from nearby stations in other cities, a tactic the company says it can pursue under its existing contract with Sinclair until the end of February. That means subscribers will still see shows such as Glee and Desperate Housewives but not the local news.
Sinclair general counsel Barry Faber said the broadcaster was looking for a week extension. But Time Warner is confident it can reach a deal with Sinclair in the next 24 hours, said spokeswoman Maureen Huff.
Separately, Sinclair and regional cable provider Bright House Networks said Friday they have reached a tentative agreement on fees and have extended negotiations until next Friday to work out details. Those talks cover stations reaching about 1 million Bright House customers.
These types of disputes have grown more contentious over the past few years as broadcast companies seek higher fees from cable TV providers. Traditionally, broadcasters relied on advertising to pay the bills. But with competition for ad dollars on the rise, they have been looking for a second source of revenue.
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Time Warner Customer Gets X-Rated Cable Bill
Cleveland Plain Dealer - January 9, 2011
http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/01/time_warner_customer_gets_an_x.html
The Question: I watched a 15-year-old foster child for a relative while children's services dealt with the paperwork to get him enrolled in school. He was here a few days over several weeks, and I let him watch TV in the basement.
He ran up a $400 cable bill for pornographic movies.
I had no idea until I got my cable bill. I filed a police report, and the boy was prosecuted, but Time Warner is threatening to cut off my cable if I don't pay the bill.
I've been a cable customer for more than 20 years and have never ordered pay movies. Time Warner should flag unusual activity and alert customers, the way credit-card companies do.
-- Linda Martino, Garfield Heights
The Answer: For some reason, last month was kids-n-porn month for Plain Dealing.
You called about the porn bill run up by your teenage visitor. A Shaker Heights dad wrote to say he let his 10- and 12-year-old load free sample chapters onto their Kindles, only to realize later that many of the free reads contained suggestive titles and graphic descriptions of sex -- material he never dreamed would be so easily accessible to kids.
Porn is, of course, widely available on the Internet and, believe it or not, there are even porn apps for phones. All of this puts parents and guardians in a position of having to think about a subject that may be way off their personal radar and then figure out how to protect their kids from exposure -- if the tools to do so even exist.
Time Warner Cable spokesman Travis Reynolds said that because of the unique circumstances in your case, the company decided to forgive the outstanding $400 bill. This is not, Reynolds stressed, something the cable company typically does.
Time Warner holds customers responsible for any movies-on-demand ordered on their account -- whether or not they personally know about the purchase.
When cable boxes are installed, Time Warner techs "encourage" customers to set up a PIN code so that no pay content can be accessed without keying the code in, Reynolds said. Techs also leave a booklet with instructions on how to set the code, and that information, as well as instructions for blocking certain channels or types of content, is also available on the company's website.
I suspect most folks are like you: They don't intend to watch pay movies, so they don't see a need to change the default PIN that comes with the system. But default PINs are notoriously easy to guess, especially in Time Warner's case: The company's website reveals the standard default PIN.
If you don't set up a harder-to-guess PIN, a child or a houseguest could access pay movies without your knowledge -- and stick you with the bill.
Reynolds said the cable company doesn't monitor what customers watch, nor does it have a system that flags a customer's change in use so the company can alert a customer of a sudden bump in charges. Your first clue may indeed be the bill.
To borrow a sports phrase, your best defense here is a good offense. Set your PIN to avoid a surprise bill.
Consumer Wise Parents across the country recently discovered that when their kids bought virtual goods while playing free games like "Smurf Village" on iPhones and iPads, parents' credit cards got hit with real-life charges.
Parents also have complained about surprise bills when kids downloaded movies or ring tones on phones or texted beyond the limits of their plans. And, of course, pay movies are readily accessible for kids who know the pass codes.
As a parent, you may object not only to the bills but also to the content.
To head off trouble, check the websites of your cable, satellite, phone and Internet companies to find out about the availability of parental controls.
Here are links that can help:
• To set or reset your Time Warner Cable PIN or read more about Time Warner parental controls.
•To rein in access on Kindle: There are no "parental controls" per se, but the folks at Amazon.com recommend parents buy content for their kids, unregister the device so that no samples or other material can be downloaded, and then re-register the device again to buy new material. Find instructions on unregistering and re-registering.
• To set parental controls on iPads, iPhones and iPod touch
• To block third-party charges to your phone bill, call your provider. (You should block these whether or not you have kids, and while you're at it, block international calls if you don't regularly phone other countries.)
• To avoid cell phone "bill shock," check with your carrier about whether it allows you to block or otherwise limit phone use. Some companies, for example, will let you block movie downloads; others let you block a child's phone during certain hours (for example, during school or after bedtime.) The Federal Communications Commission proposed new rules, not yet approved, that would require carriers to warn customers when they're nearing use limits so they aren't surprised by huge bills.
• To rein in a child's access to the Internet, check your provider's website for parental controls. Some service providers give you a variety of free tools to block pop-ups or sites that might lead a child astray. GetNetWise.org has a wealth of information about parental controls, including video tutorials for limiting online searches on Google and other sites.
