|
A.N.C.C. ANALYSIS OF CABLEVISION 2009 CABLE TELEVISION RATE INCREASES
October 31, 2008
Cablevision has recently announced cable television rate increases for Connectcut customers. Rate adjustments to Family Cable (expanded basic), iO digital television packages and other cable programming services will be effective December 1, 2008. New customer equipment charges, such as rates for the set top converter box and remote control will go into effect on January 1, 2009.
In announcing the rate changes on October 30, 2008, Cablevision reported "Average Cable Television Prices To Increase 3.5 Percent". Because Cablevision calculated this figure using the total number of subscribers in their entire market area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, it may not accurately reflect the increases that it's Norwalk-based system customers will absorb. The company's policy of reporting system wide percentages rather than area specific percentages began with the announced rate adjustment for 2004. Cablevision has explained that this reporting is consistent with its goal of standardizing services and rates for its entire service area.
A.N.C.C. also has compiled the data from the new rate cards into the following table which compares the rate changes on specific services for the local subscribers:
| Service |
2008 |
2009 |
Increase |
Percent |
| Packages |
|
|
|
|
| Broadcast Basic |
$16.72 |
$16.72 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Family |
$49.95 |
$52.95 |
$3.00 |
6.0% |
| iO Silver |
$72.95 |
$75.95 |
$3.00 |
4.1% |
| iO Gold |
$92.95 |
$95.95 |
$3.00 |
3.2% |
| iO Navigation |
$5.95 |
$5.95 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Add-ons |
|
|
|
|
| A la cartes (IFC) |
$4.95 |
$4.95 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| iO Package |
$10.95 |
$10.95 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Digital HBO |
$11.95 |
$11.95 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| All Other Digital Premiums |
$9.95 |
$10.95 |
$1.00 |
10.1% |
| iO Sports Pack |
$5.95 |
$5.95 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Sundance Channel |
$9.95 |
$4.95 |
-$5.00 |
-50.3% |
| Premiums On Demand |
$4.95 |
$4.95 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Digital Video Recorder |
$9.95 |
$9.95 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Subscription On Demand |
$4.95-$9.95 |
$4.95-$12.95 |
$1.50 |
20.1% |
| iO International Programming a la carte
|
$9.95-$29.95 |
$9.95-$29.95 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| iO en Espanol |
$5.95 |
$6.95 |
$1.00 |
16.8% |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Equipment |
|
|
|
|
| Box + remote |
$6.50 |
$6.75 |
$0.25 |
3.8% |
| Premium Additional Outlet |
$1.50 |
$1.50 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| TV Guide |
$3.99 |
$3.99 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Digital Cable Card |
$2.00 |
$2.00 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Closed Caption Device |
$70.00 |
$70.00 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Installation |
|
|
|
|
| New Installation 1 outlet |
$46.95 |
$34.95 |
-$12.00 |
-25.6% |
| Restart prewired home |
$46.95 |
$34.95 |
-$12.00 |
-25.6% |
| Hourly |
$46.95 |
$34.95 |
-$12.00 |
-25.6% |
| Add'l outlet during install |
$21.95 |
$9.95 |
-$12.00 |
-54.7% |
| Add'l outlet separate trip |
$46.95 |
$34.95 |
-$12.00 |
-25.6% |
| Home visit equip change |
$46.95 |
$34.95 |
-$12.00 |
-25.6% |
| Service call |
$46.95 |
$34.95 |
-$12.00 |
-25.6% |
| Relocate outlet |
$46.95 |
$34.95 |
-$12.00 |
-25.6% |
| Service change from office |
$1.99 |
$1.99 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Phone payment processing fee |
$5.00 |
$5.00 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Examples 2008 vs 2009 |
2008 |
2009 |
Increase |
Percent |
| Broadcast Basic |
$16.72 |
$16.72 |
$0.00 |
0.0% |
| Family + 1 A la carte |
$54.90 |
$57.90 |
$3.00 |
5.5% |
| iO (1 box + 1 prem) |
$79.35 |
$82.60 |
$3.25 |
4.1% |
| iO Silver (2 boxes) |
$87.45 |
$90.95 |
$3.50 |
4.0% |
| iO Gold (3 boxes) + DVR |
$123.90 |
$127.65 |
$3.75 |
3.0% |
The chart below plots the Basic & Family service rates and converter boxes over the last 8 years
|