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Cook calls for evaluation of Time Warner Cable

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By JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 - 12:04:03 am CST

Lincoln City Councilman Jonathan Cook is introducing a resolution today calling for a performance evaluation of and a legal investigation into Time Warner Cable’s new Navigator program guide and DVR software.

“There are serious problems here,” Cook said Wednesday afternoon. “I think Lincoln customers deserve better. They are not getting what they have paid for.”

A public hearing on the resolution is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. March 5.

Story Photo

Time Warner asked Cook to wait a week before introducing his resolution to see if its latest software upgrade, scheduled to be finished by Friday, takes care of the problems, said Ann Shrewsbury, director of public affairs for the cable company’s Nebraska division.

“This is a top priority for this division and our company,” Shrewsbury said. “It’s very important for us to make the changes needed to create a great product that will have incredible opportunities in the future.”

According to Cook, the city’s franchise agreement with Time Warner, approved in November 2005, gives the city the authority to order a performance evaluation.

Cook’s resolution calls for the Cable Television Advisory Board to conduct the evaluation. It also calls for city attorneys to review any franchise agreement violations, Federal Communications Commission violations or other regulatory infractions.

Last fall, Time Warner dropped the contracted Passport channel guide in favor of the company-created Navigator.

Time Warner changed the guide to make it compatible with other software programs coming down the line, such as TV caller ID for those who have the company’s phone and digital cable service.

The change affected 46,000 digital cable subscribers. Time Warner has 110,000 television subscribers in Southeast Nebraska.

Time Warner is the nation’s second largest cable company with more than 18 million subscribers. The Nebraska division was the first to introduce Navigator to its customers.

The new guide has been beset with problems since its introduction. Complaints have ranged from the guide itself — ugly graphics, incomplete information, etc. — to problems with slow-reacting cable boxes and DVRs after the software was loaded into them, causing some subscribers to reboot one or more times a day.

Cook said he is a Time Warner subscriber and DVR user. As the council’s liaison to the Cable Television Advisory Board, he said he received his upgrade with Time Warner employees before it was introduced to the public.

“I didn’t think it was ready,” he said. “I thought it needed more work before it was released.”

Shrewsbury said Time Warner will comply with an evaluation. She also said the company has kept city officials abreast of the situation.

“The timing of this is unfortunate because we believe this latest (upgrade) will solve the most important issues affecting customers,” she said.

Residents unable to attend the hearing can e-mail their comments to council@lincoln.ne.gov.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.


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Yes wrote on February 22, 2007 1:02 am:
" This I can support, go Cook! "

 Brett Otte wrote on February 22, 2007 1:57 am:
" Remeber when you used the Guide to scroll to a show coming on in 3 minutes and you could just hit the round middle OK button to goto that channel immediately? Nope. Not in Navigator. It asks you repeatedly if you'd like to schedule a reminder to go back to that channel later. Um, no. The previous show is over and I wanna go there now. Can the 5 minute late start times of the Tonight Show & other shows possibly be MORE annoying when using the Nav? Go back to the old way. Um, how do we tell New from Old shows? It used to say NEW and Repeat much more easily. Trying to find a specific sporting event? Good luck. Wanna find when the Cubs play a specific team? Easy right? Goto the Nav, goto sports, then MLB, now scroll thru the 2 NEW MBL's listed, now all the games are listed as team vs. team, right? WRONG. EVERY SINGLE GAME WITHOUT A DATE LISTED is just MLB BASEBALL. You have to click Info on EVERY SINGLE GAME. Good luck finding when your teams are on TV. I've called 5 times to complain and received $1-5 off our bill a couple times because I was so mad that they STOLE features we previously had and didn't lower the price. I just don't see how they're justified. The city should force them to refund 10% of our bill every month until at LESAST all previous features are restored. I listed at least 13 Guide features they eliminated with the Nav. I think I'm up to 18 now and I plan on attending this meeting. I USED to hate Alltel the most in town, but TWC took their place years ago in my hatebook. "

 roger wrote on February 22, 2007 2:07 am:
" we need to also find out why we have to pay more to get MY TV here in Lincoln. It is part of the regular cable package in Grand Island. It should be part of ours also since it is broadcast over the airwaves. Many people can't afford to upgrade to the digital lineup just to get this channel. "

 Daniel wrote on February 22, 2007 3:04 am:
" Kudos to Cook. About time someone did something about this. I think the only solution will be to bring in competition. "

 BAP wrote on February 22, 2007 5:11 am:
" GREAT Job, Mr. Cook! "

 Time Warner boo wrote on February 22, 2007 5:30 am:
" It is worse than slow. I am sure glad I am spending alot of bucks on something that works too slow. We need a better cable operator in Lincoln! "

 Bill in Lincoln. wrote on February 22, 2007 6:35 am:
" ..I think they should be held to a performance evaluation since Time Warner is getting so much negative feedback with their local service. My cable seems to work, but it is slower reacting to commands. Plus the words, "downloading signal," appears every once in awhile while using the channel selector. "

 L.D. Hadfield wrote on February 22, 2007 6:49 am:
" It's about time. The council has had the authority to call for a performance audit for two years, time to use it to question why and how a company can use an exclusive franchise to defraud its customers with impunity. Competion would cure a number of the ills that currently beset Time-Warner customers. As a subscriber,I received the letter from Time- Warner that said in effect" We know our system is inferior to the old guide,and we don't care --you are giong to get Navigator cause we say so, and we are the only game in town. So shut up and accept it." That sort of arrogance is only found when orgainizations are secure in the knowledge that no orgainization or indivdual will or can challenge them. "

 nitemare wrote on February 22, 2007 7:07 am:
" Thank you Mr. Cook!!! It's about time for something to be done about this situation. Only wish that you were an attorney and could get some of our money back for being their "guinea pigs" !!! "

 it's about time wrote on February 22, 2007 7:23 am:
" TW has been gouging it's customers for years. The new downgrade TW is calling an upgrade is the final straw. "

 Time Warner Subscriber wrote on February 22, 2007 7:38 am:
" I think this is a good idea. Our household decided to go to the digital phone service and what a mess. It took weeks before our phones were straightened out. The digital cable for the TV is awful. I think TW needs some competition, but having an evaluation is a start. A survey to the customers would be a good idea. "

 Comm UnSense wrote on February 22, 2007 7:40 am:
" Keep in mind that Cook is running for re-election and this is a hot topic right now. Is he really going to do something, or is this just a chance for public exposure? Stay tuned. "

 This is cable wrote on February 22, 2007 7:53 am:
" Is this really something the city council needs to worry about? Shouldn't cook have more important things to take care of? It's cable TV, it works, let them take care of the bugs and it will be fine. "

 scott wrote on February 22, 2007 7:56 am:
" I have never complained because I simply do not have time but I thank Jonathon Cook for his work. With the lack of competition and the prices we pay we definately deserve better. I hope other elected officials work together to get us a resolution to this issue. Where is our mayor? I would like to see her have a positive story on her way out of office. "

 Chris wrote on February 22, 2007 8:05 am:
" Thank God someone with some authority is actually going to help us out. No matter how many complaint letters you send in ... the consumer isn't going to make an impact on these guys. "

 Anonymous wrote on February 22, 2007 8:06 am:
" Let me see if I understand what the city councilman is calling for. A Public hearing about a guide for my television not doing everything he expects it to do. Hmm he is running for a new term maybe he should be concerned about the budget for city services, getting the fire trucks fixed that were purchased under his watch, getting some salt trucks out on the streets to avoid the injuries caused earlier this week when we had 52 accidents in the first 2 hours of the morning drive times. Maybe it is time to look at Mr. Cook priorities - let me see TV graphics or injury accidents and scandles in city spending. Maybe it is time to get someone in who is concerned about us and not his personal TV woes. Maybe it is time for someone who can get us some real jobs in this city we got Verizon 800 promised jobs ranging from $6 - $12,/hr lost 350 Quebecor ranging from $5-$24/hr. "

 J wrote on February 22, 2007 8:23 am:
" Here we go again with more "whining"from Cook! "

 SL wrote on February 22, 2007 8:29 am:
" I agree that it was brought out before it was ready. My system changed over in November and I was told that subscribing to DVR would solve the problems I was having with my old box. I complained about increasing my monthly payment by $5.00 to get what I should have been paying for already, so they gave my first bill a $5 discount. It still has a lot of problems and it's hard for me to believe that it will all be fixed after the next upgrade. How about some pertinent info on satellite options from real world users? "

 Sean wrote on February 22, 2007 8:30 am:
" I find it abhorrent that TWC Nebraska wanted to wait a week to see if "this latest (upgrade) will solve the most important issues affecting customers." Yes, there is an issue with the software not being ready for release. I think the bigger issue is that TWC made our market compulsory beta testers of their product. Everywhere else in the world, beta testers are voluntary participants with deeper knowledge of a product's functional goals and operating environment. This is done so that testers can provide educated feedback to fix any problems that occur. Testers know what they are getting into and sign off on any risks. TWC customers were not afforded this opportunity and in many cases (my own included) suffered when a service we contracted with TWC to provide was compromised. In the very least, TWC owes its customers remuneration from the date of the initial "upgrade" until all issues are fixed and a proper release of their software is ready. Any fines or penalties should be funneled directly to the customers and not to the city coffers. "

 Mr. DVR wrote on February 22, 2007 8:32 am:
" Finally, someone is recognizing a problem. I thought I was the only one that thought I was getting ripped off! "

 Unhappy wrote on February 22, 2007 8:34 am:
" Our family pays $ 75/month and for what? Thanks Mr. Cook - because the only response we get from Time Warner is that they are working on the issue. Well, guess what, I can't even use the service that I pay for because this upgrade. My DVR doesn't work, it takes 10 seconds or more to change a channel. In any given service industry, if the prices went up and the service went down, the company would close. Here's to a solution - maybe a competitor. "

 JT wrote on February 22, 2007 8:37 am:
" Thanks John Cook, this needed to happen. Ms. Shrewsbury, it doesn't matter if the new software upgrade makes it all better, you've been ripping us off with a drastically inferior product for about six months now. "

 Tina wrote on February 22, 2007 8:42 am:
" Thank You, Thank You, Jon Cook. I can't stand my Time Warner Service. I have had problems since the day they switched to the Navigator. Lincoln needs another Cable company, give us the opportunity to choose!! I am definetly not getting what I am paying for. "

 Steve wrote on February 22, 2007 8:45 am:
" It about stinking time! Now I want some compensation for my troubles and no not 3 months of a movie channel. If I'm a beta tester, then I should get at least 50% off my bill for the amount of time that I'm testing. The way I see it, they owe me 50% of 4 months of cable. See you at the hearing. "

 Who are they kidding? wrote on February 22, 2007 8:46 am:
" Yeah, I'm real sure this "upgrade" will fix it. Just like the last one was going to....and the one before that....and the one before that.... "

 dave wrote on February 22, 2007 8:46 am:
" the new navigator is absolutely garbage! how is this for an idea send Time Warner packing and bring in someone like Cox or Comcast. Is anyone else sick of Time Warners BS? "

 Thank you! wrote on February 22, 2007 8:52 am:
" Thank You Council member Cook! Maybe you can find out if they can get Road Runner working better. My modem dies every once in awhile and I have to either unplug it and have it reboot or I have to refresh the internet settings using my network connection OR RoadRunner Medic. "

 Cook Skeptic wrote on February 22, 2007 9:04 am:
" Is anyone running for office here? J Cook is about as politically opportunistic as they come. Don't let this tip of his good ole boy hat to an obvious need / political opportunity fool you, this guy is a big part of the problem in City government. Let him raise awareness of this problem, then vote him OFF the City Council. With a clean slate of real, community minded folks in City gov. there is no limit where this community can go. If we keep putting the same old tired folks in office, because they throw us a political year bone, we have no one to blame by ourselves for a continuation of our current stagnation. Thanks Mr. Cook, we'll hand you your hat on the way out the door. "

 Jan wrote on February 22, 2007 9:10 am:
" I had Dish network for a while and changed back to TW. First of all with Dish we were always searching for signal for a few seconds especially when it was windy, you had to get a decoder for every 2 TV's (I have 5), and we got Lincoln channels but not Omaha and I'm a news watcher so I really missed the the Omaha channels. So it really depends on what you watch. I don't consider satellite an option. What we need is another cable company but I'm not sure we are a big enough market or does the franchise contract give exclusivity to TW. "

 Economist wrote on February 22, 2007 9:13 am:
" I have an idea for all you TWC complainers: stop paying for cable. Voting with your dollars is the only way you'll get TWC to listen to you. Or, are you too worried you'll miss the next reality TV show? "

 John R wrote on February 22, 2007 9:15 am:
" I have had to take my box back 5 times over the last couple of months. They just can not seem to get it right. And yet, they do not offer any sort of compensation. What other business could stay in business doing this? Something needs to be done. I applaud Concilman Cook for taking action. We definitely need competition in Lincoln. "

 bheer n ose wrote on February 22, 2007 9:18 am:
" i just got done looking at my TWC bill....man, can they at least take me out to dinner before they bend me over! enough already, lay it on em Cook! "

 Bill wrote on February 22, 2007 9:21 am:
" I have had DirecTV for about five years. I have had TWC knocking on my door, and in the recent past calling on a monthly basis trying to get me to switch over to TWC. I have more channels at a lower price, with less problems. DirecTV just started offering local channels for Lincoln in the line-up. So is there any reason for anyone to put up with Time-Warner? "

 JS wrote on February 22, 2007 9:23 am:
" I sure wish we had another cable and phone provider in town. If there was a little competition there would probably be more incentive for TWC to step up their service. "

 I agree! wrote on February 22, 2007 9:24 am:
" I just switched to DVR and I'm ready to go back to my old VCR! It was right after I switched that they started having problems, but I said I would wait for the fix before deciding. They need competition and better products. I have a friend that has DISH and their DVR holds 100 hours while mine only holds 25. That's ridiculous! "

 GMP wrote on February 22, 2007 9:25 am:
" I am not happy with the current cable situation either. I think TW should give us a discount on the service, knock off something for all of the aggrivation we have gone through. Yes, 50% off for 3 or 4 months might be nice. The old cable guide was a lot better. I hope Mr. Cook can get something done, not just have them tell him "we're working on it". "

 GP wrote on February 22, 2007 9:27 am:
" I really miss the "day" selection on the remote. You used to be able to go from day to day with just a button, now you have to scroll through 24 hours to get to the next day. I know, a little inconvience, but we are paying FOR conviencnce, aren't we? "

 You have no idea wrote on February 22, 2007 9:28 am:
" When a monopoly like Time Warner sends out an awful product, makes ridiculous pleas for patience, and still charges you the same amount for a bad product, CITY GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP IN! This is EXACTLY what our city council should be doing. Their interventions will hopefully take care of a problem that the common customer has been complaining about for a LONG TIME! "

 Jim L. wrote on February 22, 2007 9:41 am:
" I agree, Cook is running for reelection so is this a policitical move or not. "

 Seriously Jon wrote on February 22, 2007 9:50 am:
" He is up for re-election and guess who will not be getting my VOTE. I can not believe this is a top concern of the Counsel. This is maybe effecting what 1500 people or so in Lincoln. Jon could we work on something a bit more beneficial to the rest of the 233,147 Voters??? "

 Who has no idea? wrote on February 22, 2007 10:03 am:
" Why does TWC have a monopoly? I'm sure cox or quest would have no problem getting a piece of Lincoln - but for some reason this town likes it's monopolies (Alltel, Douglas theaters, wells fargo). Instead of the council wasting their time on an audit maybe they should work on getting some competitiors here. If you don't think you're getting what you paid for then quit your service. No one needs DVR. If this were energy then there may be a point to this, but this is TV for crying out loud. "

 do something wrote on February 22, 2007 10:09 am:
" lots of hate for twc out there. we finally did something about ours...switched to the dish. we've had it several days now and it's fabulous. much easier to navigate and when we push buttons the tv actually reacts. plus, to take the cake, when we canceled w/ twc they said "when you come back, and everyone does, tell us you're leaving dish and we'll get you a discount." really??? they think an aweful lot of themselves for the aweful service they provide. and they're not going to care until more people switch! "

 bill wrote on February 22, 2007 10:22 am:
" I am so happy I switched to DirectTV last year! I got fed up with TW's overpriced service and bad customer service. Even after I took the box in and paid the final bill in person, they kept sending me bills in the mail, it took me months to get rid of them. Even after you think you are done with them, your not. "

 JB wrote on February 22, 2007 10:41 am:
" Man am I glad I switched to Dish last May or I would have been right there very upset like most of you. I actually almost switched back to TW because I wasn't happy with how the recording worked with Dish, but that's because I wasn't doing it right but now I do like it. I did have TW before Dish and with the Passport and I really liked it, but thought it was too expensive so I went with Dish. Only thing you don't get with Dish is the Omaha channels but I got used to it. I thought I would have problems having Dish when it stormed out or got snow on the dish itself but only 1 time since last May I was without service, and only for about 10 minutes during a thunderstorm, not any problems with snow. Dish isn't bad people and its cheaper so think about swithcing and hurt TW right where it counts, in the wallet. "

 POLITICAL MOVE? wrote on February 22, 2007 10:42 am:
" I'll vote for Cook if the Time Warner probelm gets fixed and vote against him if it doesn't. "

 Me wrote on February 22, 2007 10:46 am:
" Regardless of whether Mr. Cook is running for re-election or not, this NEEDS to be done!! I can't believe they charge $4 MORE a month for this piece of junk navigator! There are so many features that are gone. My favorite was the autorewind of a few seconds when you hit play after fast-forwarding to make up for slow reaction time. Brett Otte, I hope you have that on your list! It takes a lot longer to watch a recorded show now, I have to rewind everytime I fast forward through commercials. Also, the fastest you can go forward is 3x. The old one you could go 16x. "

 Kevin wrote on February 22, 2007 10:47 am:
" I went through the Time Warner hate a few years back and a few months back and even switched to a satilite in between times. Cable is very expensive just to watch 10-15 of everyones favorite channels. Maybe TW should offer up a service that gives us just the channels we want. For me it would be only about 10 channels. My DVR is working pretty good and I do miss the ease of the old one but it will work out eventually like all things normally do. We should be reimbursed something for the issues. Everyone wants competition which is out there with satilite, but I want a normal non-satilite competitor because I don't want the dish on my house. "

 Ryan wrote on February 22, 2007 10:48 am:
" Remember when people didn't schedule their lives around television? Maybe if people would actually get a life and not drop out in front of the boob tube this wouldn't even be an issue. Sad. "

 Yippeee!! wrote on February 22, 2007 11:01 am:
" Thank goodnees! I am ready to cancel my service if things don't improve! "

 Who cares wrote on February 22, 2007 11:09 am:
" if it's a political move, there is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Time Warner has been providing a ridiculous "service" for the past 4 months. My guide is so slow, it will literally sit frozen for minutes at a time. Between DVR and Road Runner, I'm paying $120 a month...for what??! A big headache! "

 Daisy wrote on February 22, 2007 11:12 am:
" Interesting. While other City Council candidates tackle such frivolous issues as job creation and street infrastructure growth efficiencies, Cook charges gallantly ahead to help us all get better access to "Dukes of Hazard" reruns. I'm hoping the next leg of his platform will be grub control. This man continues to be a serious waste of City resources. Public service? Try Public "Heckler." (Just watch him in action on channel 5) "

 Don wrote on February 22, 2007 11:30 am:
" i don't know what everybody is yelping about. I have TW Cable TV and computer on cable and haven't had one problem. But I do know Cook is wanting to be elected. And my cable bill increased, why I don't know. Think its a bit much but I've lived where there is Cox and Comcast and don't want that!! "

 Irritated wrote on February 22, 2007 11:34 am:
" We have also been very unhappy with our TWC service since the most recent upgrades around January. I am most upset because our DVR has not worked. We are normally not home to watch the shows that we want to watch, so on Sundays when there is nothing going on we like to catch up! Well unfortuately we've missed most of our shows because of this. I called TWC and they offered only to refund the minimal fee for having DVR. That doesn't make up for the fact that we haven't watched any of our shows all month but still have to pay most of the bill....... There needs to be some major changes made! "

 LOVE DVR wrote on February 22, 2007 11:51 am:
" I actually called in a few days ago to complain for like the 10th time because a lot of my shows are scheduled to record and they don't! The guy working actually had the nerve to tell me that for the show not to record means that I did something to it....I told him I wasn't even home and he had nothing to say so first Time Warner Cable won't even give me my moneys worth, then refuses to give me a little discount for all the problems and now I'm a liar.....I'm actually looking into Dish network now "

 Aisli wrote on February 22, 2007 12:23 pm:
" For all of you mocking the fact that this is just television and is not important, that is not the point being made. TWC is a monopoly in town that is not standing by its service. They offer horrible products/service, gouge the customers, and are continually rude about it. Is it as important as roads or jobs? No, but that doesn't mean Lincoln residents should be taken advantage for a service they pay a lot of money for. Everyone here is right- the new Naviagtor system is awful. There are so many things wrong with it I cannot even begin to list them. We badly need competition in this city. "

 ANSWER wrote on February 22, 2007 12:23 pm:
" I have an idea, everyone who is not happy with their service should disconnect all Time Warner services until they have a superior product. Then see how long it will take them to "debug their product"! If we demand action, then we should take action as well. I am calling today! "

 D-bonz wrote on February 22, 2007 12:50 pm:
" I don't ever remember signing up to be a BETA tester with Time Warner. Thanks for charging me out the wazzoo for cable, phone, and internet while I test your crappy software out for the rest of the country! Thanks to John Cook for helping the Time Warner customers, something Time Warner should do! "

 JimDandy wrote on February 22, 2007 1:06 pm:
" Yes, yes, we get it already. Some of you aren’t shallow television watchers (actually it seems to be the same person who feels the need to express his superiority each time an article on this topic comes up). But then I have to ask …why are you glued in front of a computer screen typing blog entries instead of out frolicking with nature? My household doesn’t actually watch that much television either, and what we do I think is good quality (Ok, except for some of those decorating shows my wife watches). I don’t appreciate being made an unwitting beta tester, and then on top of that having our rates increased at the same time. "

 big D wrote on February 22, 2007 1:11 pm:
" A couple of weeks ago there were hundreds of posts calling for action by the mayor or the city council regarding the crummy service we are getting from Time Warner. Now that someone on the city council took the initiative to start an investigation into TWC and ask for a performance evaluation, he is accused of political grandstanding?!!!! I can't believe it. Make up your minds people. Who cares who on the city council is calling for some answers from TWC? The point is that SOMEONE is actually doing something besides PASSING THE BUCK. Whether it is Cook or Camp or anyone of the other council members. No wonder we have all these monopolies.....the council figures there is no way to satisfy all the whiners, so lets keep it simple and only deal with one company. "

 cguy wrote on February 22, 2007 1:12 pm:
" I think people need to be quiet for awhile. Nobody likes change, so let it happen and get used to the change, then see what you think. Of course it takes time to work out the bugs. instead of complaining on here, maybe you should call TWC and let them know you are having problems. They can't fix it if they dont know. You all still have other choices in tv providers. You can try the others and Im sure you will think worse of it. So stop your complaining and work with them to get you the service you want. "

 Its horrible wrote on February 22, 2007 1:17 pm:
" But Lincoln is NOT big enough to have 2 cable companies so please stop complaining. I live in a city of over 1 million and we don't have 2 companies. If you want to make them act quick everyone who is tired of deal with them...needs to cancel service. You pay too much to deal with the headaches. Get Dish and DSL..... "

 Joey M wrote on February 22, 2007 1:42 pm:
" This issue has a lot of people upset and I am glad to see Mr. Cook standing up for the city of Lincoln! Fantastic job Mr. Cook. "

 KDizzle wrote on February 22, 2007 2:14 pm:
" I got sick of Time Warner Cable and their bi-monthly rate hikes a long time ago. That's why I switched to DirecTV!!! "

 jim wrote on February 22, 2007 2:22 pm:
" I never ceases to amaze me how people will complain about a poor service and high costs but continue on with the service! The best way to combat the TW fiasco is to cancel your service and do without or get satellite TV. Hit TM where it hurts, their wallet, and maybe things will change. But, if you aren't willing to cancel then stop your complaining and stay with TW. "

 About Time wrote on February 22, 2007 2:22 pm:
" The software upgrades have really been a pain in the donkey. We are frequently having to reboot our cable box. And get a credit for all of the down time and trouble... forget about it... no competition in the market equals they dont give a damn about their level of service. GO GET THEM COOK! "

 geez wrote on February 22, 2007 2:23 pm:
" here we go with the dish advertisements again. They still owe me 20.00 from 2 years ago when i had to pay upfront before they could even install my dish...and then they get there, oh, theres atree back here, we cant install this. yeah, go to dish, enjoy wasting your money "

 missing point wrote on February 22, 2007 2:27 pm:
" A lot of you just don't get it. If the service isn't up to par, then cancel. There ARE alternatives! If you go elsewhere TWC will get the idea and make some changes! "

 Kellye wrote on February 22, 2007 2:43 pm:
" Thank goodness, go Cook.! I'm tired of paying for a service I truly feel I'm not receiving!! "

 Yes, but... wrote on February 22, 2007 2:43 pm:
" Don't think Mr. Cook and the city council will be able to solve technical issues or high bills. If an audit is nessecary, then so be it. The city and TWC digital subscribers have a right to it, as much as the subscribers themselves have a right to fair and reasonable levels of servicce. But Time Warner never once said "we don't care". A company that asserts that attitude wouldn't bother being as helpful, generous, and understanding. Didn't anyone receive the informative letters from the president of the company like I did? They've acknowledged the problem and are their representatives are willing to help, but you have to take responsiblity, make the effort and call first. Brett, why don't you just call in and list the things you don't like about the Navigator guide so they know these things. We can all work together and resolve the minor issues, but understand that Time Warner needs your cooperation and patience during this time. "

 I really love when... wrote on February 22, 2007 3:12 pm:
" the box decides it needs to reboot on its own when I'm in the middle of watching or recording a show! Missed a good 5-8 minutes of a show twice now because it just decided to reboot on its own! And yes, it takes THAT long to reboot! "

 ME (FYI) wrote on February 22, 2007 3:26 pm:
" You still can jump back use the button with the curricular button! "

 cable advisory board wrote on February 22, 2007 3:58 pm:
" There is a cable advisory board why hasn't anyone listened to their suggestions for improvements????? I think this is a move because it is election time. "

 tell me more about DISH wrote on February 22, 2007 4:12 pm:
" While I try to decide whether to switch to DISH or not, I am making sure that I call and complain to TWC as often as possible. Right now, I've got 6 months of one premium channel free and the last month's DVR charge refunded. I would like to see a discount on my service, but they told me that isn't possible. "

 Todd wrote on February 22, 2007 4:23 pm:
" I live outside of Lincoln and would love to get the services TW provides. I have and have had the other providers, and wish TW serviced my area. They offer great packages at fair prices. The navigator may have some glitches, but its still better than what the other service providers have to offer. "

 Al wrote on February 22, 2007 5:29 pm:
" its about time and what better time than now to bring in a second provider EVERY OTHER city this size has at least two. funny everyone wants lincoln to be like all these other cities but not when it comes to phone and cable options then its ok to be a one show wonder "

 thanks wrote on February 22, 2007 5:31 pm:
" thanks MR. Cook at least you have a set now maybe the some of your counter parts will step up to the plate and we can get another option in town to tv "

 Yep wrote on February 22, 2007 5:31 pm:
" Please, bring in some cable competition. "

 Help me understand wrote on February 22, 2007 6:41 pm:
" Isn't there a war going on right now? Let's just forget about the innocent people dying so that we can worry about our cable not working. Great job Mr.Cook, you've won my vote! "

 Mark wrote on February 22, 2007 7:00 pm:
" Judging from the massive response to this article, this issue is obviously a sore spot with a lot of people. Unfortunately I have to agree with the minority here and say this is a case of Mr. Cook trying to score some easy points. I'd rather the City Council's time be spent on more important issues. This town has gone down the tubes in the twelve years I have lived here. We have all the problems of a larger city with none of the benefits to go with it, i.e. business growth, infrastructure, etc. and it seems that few people in charge really care about it. "

 Kim and Kevin wrote on February 22, 2007 7:18 pm:
" We're very tired of the poor service. I know it's just TV, but when you're paying $150 a month for the convenience of watching shows when you want, it's disgusting to "lose" shows or have a regular show not record. We had Dish for years and loved it (we only lost signal twice) but we tired of waiting for local channels and let TWC sway us. Now, if it wasn't for internet, we would be with Dish today. "

 KCMO wrote on February 22, 2007 9:02 pm:
" I am sorry all the NE TWC customers are having all these problems and I am glad the city officals are doing something to accelerate the fix. We here in KCMO have also gotten Navigator but TWC has not put it on any DVR's here in KCMO. So far they have only put it on Non-DVR digital boxes. It is not going over well here either but most of the issues seem to be DVR related, but I still have to reboot the box alot and the guide is slow. I have it on my SA2100 digital box but my SA8300 DVR still has Passport. If KCMO can operate both platforms Lincoln can too. So if they don't fix the problems with this next version then your city fathers should push for TWC to put Passport back on you boxes until they have a marketable Navigator. TWC gives free cable to it's employees, make them your BETA testers, not us paying customers. They may be holding off here in KC as we do have a 2nd cable company, even though Everest is only in selected parts of the city, they are still a thorn in TWC's side. Good luck Lincoln you are bleeding for all the other TWC customers and yes you should get something being a test site. "

 Just a thought wrote on February 22, 2007 9:16 pm:
" I suggest some people on here take a basic course in Economics. Time Warner Cable is NOT a monopoly. They do have competition, Direct TV, Dish Network, Windstream. Not to mention they do not have exclusive rights to provide service in Lincoln, so any other company can into Lincoln if they wanted. I wish I had a couple of billion dollars sitting around so I could re-wire lincoln and start my own company. But, then I'd have to charge a boat load each month for my services so I could over the cost of wiring, new building, employees, electricity, equipment, desk, service trucks, equipment. Anyone want to pool some money together? "

 choked wrote on February 22, 2007 10:55 pm:
" tw has had a choke hold on the citizens of lincoln long enough i hope this get the ball rolling so we can get a second option please MR Cook look into that soon "

 Lower My Bill wrote on February 22, 2007 11:36 pm:
" I could deal with the poor quality of my DVR if my bill was quite a bit lower. I know they are going through some growing pains and I can be patient. However, I don't feel that I should have to pay a premium price for a non-premium service. The Navigator software should have been field tested prior to it being placed into service. I think my bill should be lowered at least 50% because that is what I lost in quality. "

 jr wrote on February 23, 2007 8:27 am:
" tHis is unfortunate. Time Warner had tried to save millions of dollars on this new Navigator joke. The underlying story is... They hired some programmers to throw this new system together because they didn't want to pay for the rights and licensing to the old software. They thought that they could develop their own in house and save a fortune. Well, it's not working out like planned.. And it's costing me $115.00 per month to beta test this crap against my will. They argue that we're not a beta test, but that is not true. They have sacrificed our time, meny and patience. It's time to make the move to satellite. Yet another Lincoln, NE monopoly who forgets about their customers. Right Alltel? "

 Steve wrote on February 23, 2007 9:30 am:
" For all of you that don't think it's worth the time of the city council members I have to ask - who do you want us to turn to? Time Warner obviously doesn’t care as this issue has dragged on for months with no resolve. I, for one, wrote the city council members. I, for one, talked with our city attorneys about this issue. If this issue can not be rectified by a cable advisory committee meeting with our city council members, then maybe a class action lawsuit is needed. I do not think anyone likes to pay for poor service, whether it's at a restaurant, for phone service or for cable TV. I believe this is nothing more than consumer fraud and it’s about time someone puts an end to it. "

 Will not pay wrote on February 23, 2007 9:57 am:
" Without any competition Time Warner gets to set the price where ever they want. $55 for basic cable? Nuts! I don't pay for something that is so overpriced. Not only is the Navigation an issue, the cost is more of a problem in my opinion. DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN GET HDTV ON BASIC CABLE? Wouldn't know that by info given to you by TW. They make it sound like you have to have a box to get HD. My parents just bought a new HDTV that has a built in tuner. They went through the self programming on the tv and ended up with a bunch of channels being received in HD. I wish I had cable but until there is competition in this market the price will be unjustifiable to me. "

 JJ wrote on February 23, 2007 10:21 am:
" Mr. Cook while I applaud your initiative, I'm disgusted by your decision to pause on your resolution at the request of Time Warner. You're a City Council member elected by the people of Lincoln. How about you represent the people of Lincoln instead of playing into the hands of Time Warner. The patch was suppose to have been in place three weeks ago according to a tech I spoke to personally. Time Warner needs to be punished and the customers need to benefit from this. Frankly, Cox and other cable companies should be allowed to operate their business in Lincoln. Mr. Cook how about you introduce a resolution allowing this to happen. Having said that...the people of Lincoln will know in the end who the City Council truly represents, and I have a funny feeling based on past decisions it is not the people who elected you and the others. "

 Time Warner supporter wrote on February 23, 2007 10:22 am:
" First of all, I think this is just a political move for John Cook. I have to support TWC. They are trying their best to make the Navigator better. I did have some issues with mine too but I worked through it. A lot of times you just have to reboot your box and everything works great. Everyone says we need some competion, do we have a choice as to what gas company we use? Do we have a choice as to what electric company we use? Lincoln is not big enough to 2 cable companies. If you don't like it, don't subscribe to TWC. Personally, you couldn't pay me to have a dish. They are worthless. TW is a good company that just has some glitches to work out. There are actually some very cool features on the new navigator if you play around with it. "

 Dear Cox wrote on February 23, 2007 1:13 pm:
" Will you expand to Lincoln please? TWC has the whole cable market here in Lincoln, and while it isn't all that big we would definitely be loyal to the company who can serve us better, which is obviously you. Thanks. "

 Whoever wrote... wrote on February 23, 2007 1:19 pm:
" "this only affects about 1500 people or so" should check this out, they serve WAY more than 1500 people and WAY more than 1500 people have been taken advantage of financially. We pay for a service every month and they are still charging the same amount for less of a service without our agreement. "

 Horrible wrote on February 23, 2007 2:47 pm:
" Time Warner Cable is horrible. Since the new "upgrade" to their dvr system, nothing works right. I can't believe I pay this much for cable and have to wait 2 to 3 minutes just to turn the channel! Unacceptable! "

 Whats the problem wrote on February 23, 2007 3:38 pm:
" My cable works fine, I had to figure it out, but the channels change, the DVR records, the guide scrolls up and down.... There is an alternative to all the whining, any of you ever heard of sattalite or dish TV? Like Comm UnSense wrote, this is an election people...he is going after your votes, not your TV. "

 Cable User wrote on February 23, 2007 4:43 pm:
" Finally - the City Council does something right, Can't believe is Cable Television, but at least it's a start. Good job Cook!! "

 Tried Satellite wrote on February 23, 2007 4:53 pm:
" I was a satellite customer for 8 years. Their system is even worse, and more expensive. Not to mention that if you have problems other than during business hours you won't get anyone to help you. Remeber when the huskers played in the bowl game in January? I don't i couldn't get that channel on my satellite dish. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. For my dollar cable is head and shoulders better than satellite, and I've tried both. "

 Ed wrote on February 23, 2007 5:04 pm:
" If the city got involved enough to grant a single franchise, then they have an obligation to ensure that it is behaving properly. If the regulation gives them a monopoly, then the regulators are the only people who can protect the consumer. The City should be dealing with this, it's purely in their jurisdiction, and is a result of their anti-competitive granting of a franchise to TWC. "

 steve wrote on February 23, 2007 9:06 pm:
" My Dish system has worked flawlessly since 1995. Dish even sent us a new dvr, gratis, a couple of years ago. DSL is great and Dish stuff is crystal clear, with super sound. Why bother? "

 debbie wrote on February 23, 2007 9:55 pm:
" you should live in Omaha and deal with COX cable service. you'll be thanking your lucky stars. cox has nothing in their line up. no lincoln stations at all! "

 Dean wrote on February 24, 2007 9:48 am:
" Probably the City Government is in bed with TW TOO. I can't understand why we only have one choice for cable. Usually considered a monopoly practice. My cable bill has increased considerably and one more raise will probably knock me out as a subscriber. "

 Saturday Update wrote on February 24, 2007 2:37 pm:
" Mine is working great today. Hope the new downloads will continue to perform. "

 Thankful wrote on February 24, 2007 3:25 pm:
" I don't care that Cook is running for re-election. I don't care what it takes to finally get this addressed. I didn't mind the fact of the TWC monopoly. I didn't even mind paying the huge amount of money I pay them- I liked the convennience of knocking out the phone, internet, and cable bill with one payment. I do, however, expect these services to work. At one point when I called TWC recently, they actually had the nerve to say that most Lincoln customers are not experienceing DVR problems. The TWC repair person who came to my house to turn the box on and off (which obviously resulted in no change or improvement) got a good laugh out of that. I really could care less about caller id flashing on my screen. THAT is what all of this is about? It also looks like that this "unfortunate timing" Shrewsbury mentioned in the article isn't so unfortuante after all- the alleged upgrade of yesterday has resulted in nothing but my channel guide runniing in a continuous loop when I press the up or down button. How manipulative. Say goodbye to your customers TWC, and not just your cable customers. I am at the point where I will pay whatever I need to pay to stop contributing to such an irresponsible and unresponsive company. "

 spend spend spend wrote on February 24, 2007 6:50 pm:
" and just how much is this going to cost? TWC is constantly upgrading navigator and will get all the bugs worked out eventually. "

 TWM Customer wrote on February 24, 2007 7:01 pm:
" Yeah Yeah! I am so thankful that this is being done. With TWC being the only option in Lincoln TWC treats its customers like they dont care because they know we have nowhere else to go. They must be reviewed! "

 Jeremy wrote on February 24, 2007 7:41 pm:
" I have not had any problems with Dish Network. Only once did I lose service during a storm and that was short lived. I can't imagine paying as much as cable costs to receive service like that. Dish is cheaper and better. "

 Jason wrote on February 25, 2007 4:37 am:
" TW's DVR service is horrible, and what are the odds that we as a city were chosen to be THE beta test site for their inferior software. I have have experienced almost all the problems listed above, and I'm sick of it! The person from KC added fuel to my fire. After all, why can't we just go back to Passport? Besides, everyone I know that has a DVR also has at least one cordless phone, so the on-screen caller ID function is a moot point. As for Mr. Cook's political maneuvering, the people of Lincoln need representation on many issues both great and small. I don't care if he's just trying to generate election year buzz because this is one issue that we deserve representation on. Finally, I have a bone to pick with the critics who are saying that "it's just TV." Who are you to judge what I do with my free time? Regardless of whether or not this hearing amounts to anything, at least TW will catch hell from all the negative PR they are getting. Class Action anyone? "

 Alan wrote on February 25, 2007 8:15 am:
" I agree, we need competetion, any market does. Monopolies are never good. I just am not sure that what Cook is doing is absolutely the right thing. As others have pointed out, there are more important things, and far more people not served by TW. Maybe what Cook ought to do is fight for a way for competition in the cable business to come to Lincoln. "

 Jason K wrote on February 25, 2007 5:25 pm:
" Good job Mr. Cook!!! Time Warner's treatment of its customers shows that they have little respect for us, what other company would knowingly make their product worse. Why would they select Lincoln as the first market to introduce their new software, because the know they have a monopoly here. E