Results tagged “cable”

Don Imus, the popular radio personality, will be joining Fox Business News. Imus lost the MSNBC simulcast of his "Imus in the Morning" radio show and was kicked off CBS radio after he made questionable remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team two years ago—but then was picked up by ABC Radio. Fox Business News' EVP Kevin Magee said, "We're excited to welcome a renowned broadcaster like Don Imus to the FOX Business team. His 40 years of on-air experience combined with his superb interviewing skills and capitalist sensibilities will be a great addition to our lineup." Mediabistro says Imus will be incorporating more business into his show—can't wait to hear him make fun of fat cats!

There was great excitement in the cycling community last month when the DOT finally finished turning the treacherous Sands Street approach to the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn into an elegant, elevated bike lane. Transportation Alternatives even held an opening celebration, dubbing the Sands Street lane the "Budnick Bikeway," after Noah Budnick, a T.A. advocate who almost died riding his bike on Sands Street in 2005.

After some delays, the country is finally switching its TV signals from analog to digital. And the government is expecting a lot of confusion from the estimated 1 million people who are unprepared for the switch—the AP reports, "The Federal Communications Commission put 4,000 operators on standby for calls from confused viewers, and set up demonstration centers in several cities. Volunteer groups and local government agencies were helping elderly viewers set up digital converter boxes that keep older TVs functioning." If your TV is hooked up to cable or satellite feeds, you should be fine, but if you're wondering, the Star-Ledger has a good guide on the new world of DTV (did you know the FCC is still giving $40 coupons for convertor boxes—they just take 9 business days to arrive). Here's more at the FCC's DTV.gov site.

Yesterday, residents at East 95th Street apartment building The Highgate got a super annoyance as they tried to tune into Super Bowl coverage: Their cable service from RCN conked out. One resident told WCBS 2, "I called them around 1 when the picture was going in and out every few minutes, and they told me it would clear up within two hours." But when 6 p.m. rolled around, his "reception was completely shot, with pixelated video cutting out or pausing practically every three seconds." Another neighbor lamented her failed party, "I'm filled with the rage of a thousand suns, actually. It ruined my party and I made chili and everyone I know came over and now they left and I think I might not have friends anymore." RCN told them they might not have a technician to the building until Wednesday, so they'll have to stick to DVDs in the meantime.

Say goodbye to the Colbert Report, Spongebob Squarepants and yes, even The City (we hardly knew ye), Gawker is reporting that "From New York to Los Angeles, Viacom channels like Comedy Central are set to flicker off cable systems in the first minute of 2009." The two companies have been not-so-publicly negotiating for some time, and now the network is holding their channels hostage.

Verizon has entered the cable TV game today, providing an alternative to Time Warner and Cablevision in select neighborhoods. For $94.99, the current promotional deal for FiOS includes unlimited local and long-distance phone service, an Internet connection of 20 megabits per second and a television package that includes 100 high-definition channels. But according to the Times, the company’s expansion could be hindered by some 65,000 Verizon workers who are threatening to strike for higher wages, caps on health care payments and limits on outsourcing jobs.

Ooh: Silicon Alley Insider brings word that Verizon just got approval from the NY State Public Service Commission to bring FIOS to NYC. Apparently FIOS TV will launch TV service in the "coming weeks," as "it's already been taking orders in launch neighborhoods." When it was first announced the cable TV-phone-Internet option was coming to town in April, the city said, "This is a historic agreement that when approved for the first time will bring true cable television service competition in each in every home in all five boroughs of New York." It's hoped that FIOS will be available to 30% of NYers by the end of the year.

You knew it would come to this: Spitzer paramour Ashley Dupré is trying to parlay her infamy into regular fame with a career in reality television. Her lawyer says the former escort has “prospects for many exciting new projects” and she's headed to Hollywood. Though “a rep” for Dupre (presumably one rep on a team of many) admits she doesn’t quite have a TV deal yet, E! News is reporting that a dating show may be in development: "They are talking to MTV about Ashley being the next Tila Tequila." Anyone else relieved to have absolutely no clue what that means?

There's a new game coming to town for cable subscribers who have been yoked to Time-Warner Cable or Cablevision out of necessity. New York City has finally struck a deal with Verizon to provide competing cable services throughout the five boroughs.