A viable alternative to Rogers

We’ve decided to cancel our Rogers cable subscription and are investing in an Over the Air (OTA) antennae system that gives us excellent reception of local stations (these are the ones we view most often anyway). In a few months we will recover our initial investment in the antennae and will be viewing television for free, released from steep monthly fees from Rogers, mostly for the many channels we never view anyway. This move will also simplify the change-over to DTV that will take place in 2011.

Message to Rogers: Your inconsiderate decision to eliminate Cable Channel 64 (PBS Watertown N.Y.) precipitated this decision and we are encouraging friends to take similar action. Our cell phone service from Rogers is the next on our list to go.

Update, July 30, 2009: I am very pleased to learn that today Rogers backed down on the WPBS Watertown issue. However, this will not influence our decision to give Rogers the boot. This firm, like other TV and cellphone service providers is a deal to greedy and arrogant.

Putting greed before need

A lot of folk are expressing anger about Rogers’ unilateral decision to eliminate Cable Channel 64 (PBS Watertown N.Y.) and to force them to subscribe to digital channels if they want access. Their response, or lack of response, to Ottawa resident’s complaints demonstrates what their real priority is (increased profits, no matter what!).

Rogers is inconsiderate to customer concerns and needs in so many ways. Another issue that came to my attention recently relates to their “pay as you go” cell-phone service. Subscribers are being bombarded by unsolicited junk calls for which they are charged. Rogers is benefiting from this unexpected revenue stream at subscribers’ expense and inconvenience. It’s time to change and to look for viable alternatives.