Comcast, Time Warner and Others Plan Cable Rate Increases for 2009

Cable TV subscribers across the country are facing cable rate increases beginning in the new year. The rate hikes could not come at a worse time for many consumers already feeling financial strain due to the tough economy, combined with the additional stress of recent holiday expenses. Some subscribers have had to cut back their programming, remove services, or get rid of cable altogether. It is also not uncommon for cable customers to switch to dish TV when cable rates go up. Overall, satellite TV programming, such as Dish Network, does not increase as high as cable over time and also offers some lower package prices. If it has been a while since you shopped around, you may want to see how much money you could save by switching to Dish Network.

Here is a summary of some of the areas affected by the upcoming rate increases:

New York - Time Warner plans to raise monthly cable rates at the beginning of the year, and is blaming the increases on higher programming and operating costs. The Triple Play Starter Pak will increase from $114.95 to $116.95 a month, and standard service will go up to $46.30 from $43.25 in most areas. Cablevision cable customers will also experience a rate increase of about 3.5% on average, while Comcast is expected to raise their rates approximately 3.7% for bundled services.

North Carolina - Time Warner plans to increase cable TV rates by $3 - $4 a month beginning in January. Standard cable will go from $53.45 to $56.66 a month,and basic digital cable TV will increase to $71.95 from $68.

Port Huron, MI - Comcast is set to raise rates an average of 4.3% a month for single service, while bundled customers will see a slightly lower increase at only 3%. Limited basic cable rates will raise from $14.99 to $15.99 a month, and standard basic programming will go up from $38.50 to $41. Existing Preferred Basic customers will see rates increase from $53.49 to $56.99 a month, and the digital tier add-on will increase from $14.95 to $17.95 per month.

Fort Wayne, IN - Comcast customers will experience higher rates for the Full Basic service, which will increase 1.4% from $52.99 to $53.75 per month. Limited service will increase about 24% from $14.49 to $17.99 per month. Expanded service will increase 14.3% from $31.27 to $35.76 per month. Since the remainder of Allen County has slightly different rates, these customers will face the following increases. Limited service will go up 21.4% from $13.99 to $16.99 per month, and Expanded service will raise 15.7% from $31.77 to $36.76 per month.

Philadelphia, PA - Cablevision plans to raise rates 3.5% for stand alone packages (non-bundled services).

St. Paul, MN / Twin Cities area - Comcast will raise rates an average of 2.9% in January and blames the increase on the rising costs of programming, especially in the interest of sports networks. Fortunately, Basic 1 cable will stay the same, however Standard cable which includes Basic 2, will go from $54 to $57.50 a month. They also plan to combine their old Classic and Preferred pricing tiers into one service, called Classic, for $74.50 a month.

Charleston, WV - Suddenlink plans to raise its monthly rates rates 3% beginning with the January 15 billing cycle. The increase is blamed on the rise in programming costs. Customers may also notice a broadcast surcharge on the bill. Basic service rates are not anticipated to rise.

Ohio - Time Warner plans to raise rates for basic cable, expanded cable and classic cable services starting in January. Charges for Basic service will go up from $16.08 a month to $17.37. Expanded cable rates will increase from $38.00 to $41.04 a month. Classic cable rates will go from $54.08 to $58.41 per month. Also, all Roadrunner high speed data services are planned to increase by $1.04, and equipment lease fees will increase slightly.

Central California / Modesto area - Comcast plans to raise rates an average of 4.5% depending on the type of services customers receive. In Modesto, Oakdale and unincorporated parts of Stanislaus County, Limited Basic subscribers will only see a 1% increase, raising the cost to $13.13 a month. However, Expanded Basic customers will experience a whopping 8% increase, with the monthly cost going up to $44.82.

Massachusetts - Charter Communications will be raising its cable TV rates 1-3% a month beginning in January. Charter already raised its rates earlier this year by 5-7%. On December 1, Comcast also raised its rates about 3.6% for the average customer, and they also hiked up rates by 4% in February of this year.

If you're interested in finding out how to put an end to your cable rate increases, contact All American Dish to see how much money you can save over the cost of digital cable. For the best satellite TV deal, call us at 1-877-444-4388 or visit online at www.AllAmericanDish.com.