What's Happening with Suscom Transition to Comcast?
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Just to add more confusion, it now appears by using this web page http://www.twcusoon.com/ and keying in ZIPs in the SusCom Brunswick system, that we also are switching to TWC. 
I was afraid of that from the beginning. 220 Maine communities switching from Adelphia to TWC while Comcast picked up 11 communities from SusCom that were near no other Comcast MSO? It didn't make sense.
Dana
I was afraid of that from the beginning. 220 Maine communities switching from Adelphia to TWC while Comcast picked up 11 communities from SusCom that were near no other Comcast MSO? It didn't make sense.
Dana
False alarm
I have confirmed finally that the SusCom Brunswick, ME system remains a Comcast property. Of course I called SusCom cust svc twice and both times got confirmation that Comcast remained in ownership. One even went so far as to say that Comcast would complete its take over in 30 days.
But, we all know that sometimes front line CSRs aren't told the whole story. And I was doubly supicious because the HD CBS channel and The Tube music channel from WGME channel 13 in Portland, ME., a Sinclair-owned station, were black last night and this AM. Comcast has a carriage agreement with Sinclair and these two channels were added recently in confirmation that Comcast now owned SusCom Brunswick. I thought the lack of signal on those channels confirmed that TWC had put its mitts on SusCom Brunswick.
But, a voice message left with the station chief engineer this AM resulted in a very prompt post on another forum thread that he had been in touch with SusCom Brunswick and the channels would be back live ASAP. And they are!!!
So, at least here, my concerns about Comcast handing SusCom Brunswick over to TWC were not warranted. (My main interest is in getting Patriots football on CBD in HD. It would be hard to loose what we just recently gained.)
TWC screwed up its web site ZIP code based "Welcome to Time Warner" royally.
Dana
drbonbi said:Just to add more confusion, it now appears by using this web page http://www.twcusoon.com/ and keying in ZIPs in the SusCom Brunswick system, that we also are switching to TWC.
I was afraid of that from the beginning. 220 Maine communities switching from Adelphia to TWC while Comcast picked up 11 communities from SusCom that were near no other Comcast MSO? It didn't make sense.
Dana
I have confirmed finally that the SusCom Brunswick, ME system remains a Comcast property. Of course I called SusCom cust svc twice and both times got confirmation that Comcast remained in ownership. One even went so far as to say that Comcast would complete its take over in 30 days.
But, we all know that sometimes front line CSRs aren't told the whole story. And I was doubly supicious because the HD CBS channel and The Tube music channel from WGME channel 13 in Portland, ME., a Sinclair-owned station, were black last night and this AM. Comcast has a carriage agreement with Sinclair and these two channels were added recently in confirmation that Comcast now owned SusCom Brunswick. I thought the lack of signal on those channels confirmed that TWC had put its mitts on SusCom Brunswick.
But, a voice message left with the station chief engineer this AM resulted in a very prompt post on another forum thread that he had been in touch with SusCom Brunswick and the channels would be back live ASAP. And they are!!!
So, at least here, my concerns about Comcast handing SusCom Brunswick over to TWC were not warranted. (My main interest is in getting Patriots football on CBD in HD. It would be hard to loose what we just recently gained.)
TWC screwed up its web site ZIP code based "Welcome to Time Warner" royally.
Dana
confusion abounds
Dana
Thanks for the reply to my question re: Suscom and QAM broadcasts.
I just put in my zip code for Etters (northern York County) 17319 and some other York zip codes on http://www.twcusoon.com/ and am getting the "Your area has not been affected by recent service changes. Please visit your cable company's website for more information." I think Derwin0 is right, nobody in these corporations seems to know what is going on with this deal. I wish they would get it straigtened out.
Craig
Dana
Thanks for the reply to my question re: Suscom and QAM broadcasts.
I just put in my zip code for Etters (northern York County) 17319 and some other York zip codes on http://www.twcusoon.com/ and am getting the "Your area has not been affected by recent service changes. Please visit your cable company's website for more information." I think Derwin0 is right, nobody in these corporations seems to know what is going on with this deal. I wish they would get it straigtened out.
Craig
[News] Suscom officially Comcast in Williamsport 8/7
Here's a post from another forum http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16654120 posted yesterday Aug. 6. The poster is apparently a SusCom tech.
"By tomorrow, customers in the Williamsport Suscom system will be officially branded with the Comcast banner. Techs will be in uniform, trucks will be branded, and customers will be directed to 1-800 COMCAST for customer service.
"The changeover to place the Suscom modems onto the Comcast network already has taken place about 3 weeks ago. HSI customers should be in the process of getting mailers and information on how to create their new Comcast email accounts."
Dana
Here's a post from another forum http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16654120 posted yesterday Aug. 6. The poster is apparently a SusCom tech.
"By tomorrow, customers in the Williamsport Suscom system will be officially branded with the Comcast banner. Techs will be in uniform, trucks will be branded, and customers will be directed to 1-800 COMCAST for customer service.
"The changeover to place the Suscom modems onto the Comcast network already has taken place about 3 weeks ago. HSI customers should be in the process of getting mailers and information on how to create their new Comcast email accounts."
Dana
drbonbi said:
The modem part is true, I don't subscribe but it was front-page news in the paper because they were down for the better part of a weekend
I'm looking at their billboard channel right now and I can't tell if they changed anything because most of the pages don't have a company logo on them. In a few minutes I'll see what comes up in the local segment on The Weather Channel.
I just checked Comcast's website and the "what's available in my area" page is down, so hopefully they're updating it. Apparently I missed the sponsor ID on TWC.
I'll have to go to another room to check the QAM lineup, I'll report back if the locals have opened up.
Just so there's no confusion, York and Williamsport are -- and will continue to be -- Comcast areas. And the Adelphia systems in Central PA will be Comcast, too. You can take that as definitive.
hilltopper,
SusCom Brunswick, Maine is definitely a Comcast acquisition, too. But, other than a Comcast CSR telling me on Aug. 2 that we should have the Comcast lineup "in 30 days," we are still in the dark about the transition. Just about everything remains SusCom, including promos. Absolutely no local news about the Comcast takeover.
The only "hard evidence" that the MSO is under Comcast ownership is that our local Sinclair CBS affiliate WGME HD channel showed up on SusCom Brunswick about a month ago, thanks to a Sinclair-Comcast national agreement.
Dana
SusCom Brunswick, Maine is definitely a Comcast acquisition, too. But, other than a Comcast CSR telling me on Aug. 2 that we should have the Comcast lineup "in 30 days," we are still in the dark about the transition. Just about everything remains SusCom, including promos. Absolutely no local news about the Comcast takeover.
The only "hard evidence" that the MSO is under Comcast ownership is that our local Sinclair CBS affiliate WGME HD channel showed up on SusCom Brunswick about a month ago, thanks to a Sinclair-Comcast national agreement.
Dana
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Suscom
I'm getting my cable and internet installed tomorrow here in Mississippi. So far, signage on trucks and at the local office have changed and calls have started going to 1-800-COMCAST. However, installers and local reps seem to have no clue as to when Comcast programming will be in effect. We've heard everything from "Fall", "next year", to "in a month or 2". I'll ask my installer tomorrow, but i'm not expecting to hear anything other than one of those answers.
I'm getting my cable and internet installed tomorrow here in Mississippi. So far, signage on trucks and at the local office have changed and calls have started going to 1-800-COMCAST. However, installers and local reps seem to have no clue as to when Comcast programming will be in effect. We've heard everything from "Fall", "next year", to "in a month or 2". I'll ask my installer tomorrow, but i'm not expecting to hear anything other than one of those answers.
TopDog58,
Did you see the story "Comcast changes to come in time" in The Clarion-Ledger there? http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006607280354
A lot better story than anything done here in Maine but focused on the Comcast takeover of the Time-Warner systems there. The sub-heading that says in part "... customers will see same service for six to nine months" is not very encouraging.
On the other hand, that's a much bigger merger - 75,000 customers in the Jackson metro area according to the article - than the SusCom deal. Let's hope Comcast moves faster there and here to absorb SusCom.
Dana
Did you see the story "Comcast changes to come in time" in The Clarion-Ledger there? http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006607280354
A lot better story than anything done here in Maine but focused on the Comcast takeover of the Time-Warner systems there. The sub-heading that says in part "... customers will see same service for six to nine months" is not very encouraging.
On the other hand, that's a much bigger merger - 75,000 customers in the Jackson metro area according to the article - than the SusCom deal. Let's hope Comcast moves faster there and here to absorb SusCom.
Dana
Yes, I saw that. However, in Jackson MS, the area is comprised of 3 counties. The city of Jackson and 2 of the counties which contained the more affluent suburbs were/are on Time Warner. The other county, which is considered to be more rural was on Suscom. That is the reason that I was on DirecTV. The day we got "digital cable" at Suscom, I went and picked up a box for an extra $12.95/mo. We literally got a program guide and 1 digital HBO channel. I switched to satellite not long after.
I don't mind switching now. After making all the line upgrades last year, Suscom offered a pretty good digital and HD lineup. So, I'll make do with what they have for the time being, but the big selling point for me is Comcast, plain and simple. In our area at least, it's a BIG BIG upgrade from Susquehanna.
I don't mind switching now. After making all the line upgrades last year, Suscom offered a pretty good digital and HD lineup. So, I'll make do with what they have for the time being, but the big selling point for me is Comcast, plain and simple. In our area at least, it's a BIG BIG upgrade from Susquehanna.
Williamsport added OLN as an analog channel yesterday. No announcement, no listing on Suscom's channel lineup web page, Comcast's website still has no channel lineup page for Williamsport. Meanwhile, broadcast digital channels continue to be encrypted.
Jim S. said:
Jim,
Our Brunswick lineup on the SusCom web page is frozen in time, too. No mention of the addition of CBS HD or MPBN (PBS) in HD anywhere or The Tube digital channel. The SusCom "introductory deals" for trying digital cable or high speed internet expired in late April (although still honored when I added those services in early May). We're caught in an interregnum between the old and the new.
Dana
TopDog58 said:
TopDog58,
Your experience mirrors my own. SusCom Brunswick upgraded its entire wire system three-four years ago. I actually bought my HDTV when SusCom Brunswick rolled out its HD service about two years ago. Their offerings were limited but better than yours! But I got frustrated because the one channel I wanted most - CBS HD - wasn't available and little SusCom wasn't about to pay Sinclair to carry it. So I went with DirecTV, too, and by luck, the only HD channel I could get OTA was CBS HD! I kept basic SusCom for my wife who preferred the simplicity and the local town channel.
Like you, I jumped back as soon as I found out that Comcast bought SusCom and I read that CBS HD was being added to the SusCom Brunswick system. (Patriots football in HD!) But, in this time warp no one at SusCom Brunswick is promoting these added channels. Not even a dinky little press release. I've sent a few emails to local reporters suggesting there's a story in this situation, as your newspaper proved. Maybe we'll see one here, maybe not.
I am encouraged by your observation that Comcast will be a BIG, BIG upgrade. We are surrounded by Time-Warner and Adelphia systems (which are now merged with TW), all of which have more HD offerings than SusCom (except they don't have CBS HD).
But my mother told me that "All good things come to those who wait." I'll make do until the Comcast lineup is live.Dana
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Today my parents got a new channel lineup card from Comcast. It's dated 09/06, but not only is it identical to the Suscom channel lineup, it doesn't even have the newly-added OLN! This is the sort of flaming nonsense Suscom used to pull -- sending out linup cards or even rate cards just before changes, or just after changes without the changes.
SusCom Brunswick reportedly becomes Comcast Sep. 6
A poster in Brunswick, ME. on another forum reports:
"I got the letter from Comcast today. Suscom becomes Comcast on Sept. 6. No mention of NESN HD but we're getting Weather Plus, OLN and the Golf Channel, Yippeee."
I haven't received my letter yet so can't confirm or elaborate.
Dana
PS. Just got my letter which confirms the above. The SusCom email conversion to Comcast will come "later." It also notes the addition of the Portland, ME. CBS station in HD (due to the Comcast/Sinclair national agreement) and the local PBS station in HD, both of which were added a month or more ago - but subs who don't get the HD channels might not have known.
A poster in Brunswick, ME. on another forum reports:
"I got the letter from Comcast today. Suscom becomes Comcast on Sept. 6. No mention of NESN HD but we're getting Weather Plus, OLN and the Golf Channel, Yippeee."
I haven't received my letter yet so can't confirm or elaborate.
Dana
PS. Just got my letter which confirms the above. The SusCom email conversion to Comcast will come "later." It also notes the addition of the Portland, ME. CBS station in HD (due to the Comcast/Sinclair national agreement) and the local PBS station in HD, both of which were added a month or more ago - but subs who don't get the HD channels might not have known.
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More developments in Jackson, MS SusCom transition to Comcast
The Clarion-Ledger posted a story today on further developments in the SusCom transition to Comcast in the Jackson, MS area. As far as the local systems go there, Comcast has consolidated its holdings.
"Areas previously served under the Time Warner name include Jackson, Clinton, Madison, Ridgeland, Florence, Raymond and unincorporated areas of Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. Areas served under the Suscom name include Brandon, Flowood, Pearl and Canton.
"Comcast bought Suscom in April, and traded for Time Warner Cable on Aug. 1."
More on programming here http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060829/FEAT05/60829017
Dana
The Clarion-Ledger posted a story today on further developments in the SusCom transition to Comcast in the Jackson, MS area. As far as the local systems go there, Comcast has consolidated its holdings.
"Areas previously served under the Time Warner name include Jackson, Clinton, Madison, Ridgeland, Florence, Raymond and unincorporated areas of Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. Areas served under the Suscom name include Brandon, Flowood, Pearl and Canton.
"Comcast bought Suscom in April, and traded for Time Warner Cable on Aug. 1."
More on programming here http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060829/FEAT05/60829017
Dana
"(Maine) SusCom subscribers await fallout from Comcast's takeover"
A newspaper story on Comcast's acquisition of SusCom Brunswick, other Maine cable co acquisitions and comments from a Maine Assistant AG are in the Maine Sunday Telegram today and are also online here http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/coast/060903cabletv.shtml
Dana
A newspaper story on Comcast's acquisition of SusCom Brunswick, other Maine cable co acquisitions and comments from a Maine Assistant AG are in the Maine Sunday Telegram today and are also online here http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/coast/060903cabletv.shtml
Dana
We received a new analog channel last week, Comcast Sports Southeast, mainly because our state universities football games are replayed each week. The old Time Warner territory received this channel as well as the NFL Network.
Other than that, there's been no change to our old Suscom lineup. STILL waiting.....
Other than that, there's been no change to our old Suscom lineup. STILL waiting.....
