Cable Rates Up, CTA pulls a slow one

By Matt Wood in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 3, 2006 4:02PM

Comcast and two other local cable providers are raising rates again this year. Comcast raised its prices 4.5 percent; RCN 8 percent; and Wide Open West, 5 percent. This is the third year in a row Comcast has upped their prices. Their rates went up 6 percent in both 2004 and 2005.

For their part, Comcast can maybe justify a little increase. Their service has vastly improved over the last few years, with better on-screen guides and on demand programming. Chicagoist even ditched our Tivo for a Comcast DVR. Okay, we're not big TV watchers, so as long as it records The Daily Show and 24, we're happy. And no, they aren't paying us to say this--which reminds us, anyone want to buy a Tivo? Anecdotally, we've also heard that RCN has rolled out a bunch of new products, but their customer service still blows. Any other reports on RCN or WOW? Do they deserve an extra few bills?

Chicagoist has gone numb to this kind of news. It seems like we see an increase every time we open our cable, cell phone, or internet bills. But it doesn't surprise us. Apparently, some people were surprised by another rate hike, the quarter increase on CTA cash fares. It's a shame no one said anything about that, like, back in October.