ROGERS HIKES PRICES
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Rogers Cablesystems has found a way around negative option billing by increasing the prices of its existing packages. The company raised the prices this week on its Cable Plus combos by $2.04. The package includes specialty channels such as MuchMusic, The Sports Network, Arts & Entertainment, The Discovery Channel and Showcase Television. In addition, customers receiving all of the specialty channels excluding the new channels launched last fall will also have to pay an extra. $2.04. The cost for the new package of 16 channels is $5.99, but only if viewers subscribe to a Cable Plus package. Otherwise, the new package costs. $10.99. Rogers is currently offering a deal where subscribers who do not have the Cable Plus package can receive all the channels at a savings of $7.04. Rogers says in a mailing to customers that the price increases are needed because the company has invested in improving the quality and reliability of its cable services. Rogers has offered the new channels free-of-charge since October to allow customers to preview them. The preview period ended last weekend, but it could take some time before Rogers can trap the new channels from customers who don't want to subscribe.
Rogers found itself in hot water in 1995 when it launched a set of specialty channels. The company tried to repackage its channels so customers would lose some existing channels unless they subscribed to the new stations. In addition, customers would automatically be billed for the new channels unless they told Rogers they didn't want them.