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Steve Myers
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GENESEE COUNTY -The busy time of the year is starting for satellite television dealers such as Midwest Wireless in Swartz Creek - the days immediately after cable TV rates go up.
Most Comcast Cable bills will be $2.50 to $5 more a month, starting this month. Charter Communications, the county's other cable company, increased prices on some packages earlier this year.
The only exception to Comcast's higher prices is for its most pared-down package, which remains $12.25 a month for 23 channels.
"We're ready. ... Every time cable increases prices, more and more people are switching," said Bob Byerly, owner of Midwest Wireless, a Dish Network dealer.
"We have price increases, but not like (this)," Byerly said.
Comcast price increases have come once a year for several years, with hikes most often in the 5 percent to 7 percent range.
Comcast has promoted improvements, including the recently launched On Demand, which gives customers who buy digital service the ability to control when they watch some programs.
Those kinds of changes make the cable service worth the money to customers, said spokesman Jerome Espy, Comcast's director of communications in Michigan.
"The price we charge reflects the value we provide customers," Espy said. "There's something available for customers no matter what they want to pay."
Both Espy and Tim Ransberger, governmental relations director for Charter, said satellite prices also have been rising steadily, even though that industry gets less attention for it.
Comcast has the bulk of cable television customers in Genesee County, including Flint, Flint Township and most of the suburban areas in the county, but Charter also has a strong presence with community contracts in Owosso, Lapeer, Fenton, Davison and elsewhere.
Ransberger said fewer customers are leaving cable after price increases because of technical upgrades and better programming.
Prices for two of Charter's digital packages rose $2 earlier this year, but its most popular nondigital package stayed at $45.99 for more than 70 channels, he said.
Dave Nelson of Flint Township said there are limits to how much customers will pay for television service no matter how good it is.
"I'm always looking for other options," Nelson said.
"If it gets too high," he said, he will look harder.
Ransberger said cable TV is priced competitively with satellite TV service.
"We keep a very close eye on the dish guys," he said. "I think we've got a very good, competitive price with them."
Byerly contends that customers get better picture and more channels for less money with satellites.
"It astounds me" that so many people subscribe to cable, he said.
Most homes in Genesee County are connected to cable, both satellite and cable sources said.
Full Story:
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Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:20 am |
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