Tuesday, November 27, 2007

EWTN and Hawaii's Cable Company

Yesterday, our local paper reported that Oceanic Cable, a Time Warner company, would be carrying Logos, a new Gay and Lesbian channel. Since for the 14 years I have been living here, continuously asking them to carry EWTN, I was a little perturbed by this news. I sent Oceanic Cable an email and received the following response today: (The emphasis added is mine)
Aloha!

Thank you for your recent inquiry. We have attempted to carry the EWTN
channel and have honestly tried to negotiate a deal with them. But EWTN
is unwilling to pay for the necessary equipment to process their signal
and transmit it to us. Nor did they want to air on the airtime we have
available.

I too am stymied as to why a Catholic channel would be unwilling to make
this investment to reach their congregation, especially considering the
Catholic Church is the wealthiest and largest church in the world.

The new channels that we do add, including the gay and lesbian Logo
network and other protestant religious channels have all made the
necessary investment in equipment necessary to create and broadcast
their channels to us. As to why EWTN refuses to do the things every
other channel has to do is beyond me. Only EWTN can answer these
questions.

Thank You for being an Oceanic Time Warner Cable Customer!

If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail us again
or contact our Customer Care Department at 643-2100. When replying to
this e-mail, please include this message as well as all previous
correspondence regarding this issue.


Thank you,
Nick S.
Oceanic Time Warner Cable
643-2100

Original Message Follows:
-------------------------


Contact Us
***************************************

Comment: We are long time customers of both the cable and internet. For
many years we have been requesting the EWTN Channel Eternal Word
Television Network. For many years, Oceanic Cable has given us
different excuses why they cannot carry it. Today I find out that OC
will be carrying a new Gay and Lesbian Channel and frankly I am very
unhappy. The reason is not because I do not believe Gays shouldn't have
their own channel but because every other type of channel, including
Protestant channels, take preference over a leading and very popular
Catholic Channel.
Although, it would hurt my family somewhat, I am really considering
unsubscribing to both the cable and internet through OC.
I would appreciate a response.
Thank you,
Esther Gefroh
I did response briefly to their little comment about the Church being the wealthiest church...and that they probably wanted to relegate EWTN to some obscure time. More importantly, I emailed a copy to EWTN asking them to respond directly to Oceanic Cable.

4 comments:

Christine the Soccer Mom said...

Esther, I will be interested in how they justify this, as well. (Not EWTN, overall, since I know their signal is free of charge, and no other channel offers free programming.)

When Time-Warner (Brighthouse in Central Florida) carried EWTN, it was only available on the digital package, so you had to pay mucho bucks to get what was essentially a free channel to them. Meanwhile, DishNetwork offers EWTN on a family package that runs $19.99 per month.

If you want a certificate for free installation, let me know and I'll email it to you. (I admit to getting credit when someone signs up with our referral.) But it was shenanegans like Brighthouse's playing with the channels and not carrying channels for which I was already paying (long story) that forced my hand. I switched to Dish and haven't been unhappy with their service at all.

Anonymous said...

A few years ago it was impossible to get EWTN it cost thousands.

Then last year a very devout couple took on the enterprise and I only had to pay $700. I now have EWTN. My favourite shows are 'Fr Corapi, The Journey Home' and Fr Groeshal(sp? when I get a chance to watch him).

I DO hope and PRAY that you will be able to get EWTN. I am tired of the drivel on the TV that seems all pervasive!

Peace & JOY to you Esther:)

Marie

Shelly said...

keep us posted, Ester, if you hear anymore on this.

EC Gefroh said...

Chris, I appreciate the offer. Unfortunately we cannot have satellite here. The Board decided on cable.

Marie, why did you have to pay so much?

I will Shelly. Thanks.