C-SPAN2 just got moved from the 'basic' into the 'digital' package by my local cable company.

[Bozita]

It's Comcast.

Basic service is $46.49. The digital package sells for $52.98, a difference of $6.49.

Nice to see Comcast charging its customers for becoming a better informed citizenry.

I understand from my reading here at DU that this type of move is becoming common in many areas of the country.

[mike098762001]

1. c-span on the web

http://www.cspan.org/

[Purveyor]

2. So perhaps that explains what happened to my CSPAN2. Went blue screen

thursday.

I heard just a blurp on CNBC this week talking about how Comcast has lost some 240,000 customers.

Between this digital move and the sports programming battles here locally, it is no wonder.

I like not have a 'box' attached to my sets but if I'm forces to do so, that box will be from either the Dish or DirecTV systems.

[The2ndWheel]

3. Pay for the internet connection?

At this point, we're still lucky air is free. But that's only because we haven't figured out how to control it yet. When we do though, expect to pay a fee.

[troubleinwinter]

4. Lemme guess... Basic still has QVC & all the other shopping channels?

I get THREEEEE shopping channels, but one C-span (not c-span2).

[Bozita]

6. Yup, Comcast Basic is heavy on shopping, light on information.

[Robbien]

5. Our Comcast basic went bluescreen on CSpan also. I dearly miss my BookTV

Can't tell you how much I hate cable right now.

[VP505]

7. Comcast has

pretty crappy programing even with the digital package, BTW don't let that $52.98 price fool you. I have the digital package with 1 premium service (HBO) and by the time they add all the taxes, franchise fees etc, I pay $90 bucks plus some change a month.

[Bozita]

8. kick for the night shift

[KharmaTrain]

9. They Did The Same Thing Here

C-SPAN2 was Channel 99...most people didn't even know it was there. They moved that channel and added C-SPAN3 (which I had long wanted) onto the digital package. They still kept C-SPAN1 on the basic package.

The upshot is that in February, 2009 all the analog signals will go away and either you'll need a cable box with digital service or a new tuner to get the digital signals. Part of it is corporate greed...they want you to buy the more expensive service now rather than in a year or so when it will become the basic service.