Washington, D.C. (November 20, 2006)
--
Cox Communications has been calling
customers asking them if they would support fewer
public access channels in return for more
High-Definition TV channels.
This has generated protests that Cox is purposely using language in the phone conversations that would steer the customers to say they prefer HDTV. Some critics have compared the calls to 'Push-Polling," a method frequently used in political campaigns to influence public opinion.
The calls were reported in today's Arizona Daily Star.
The newspaper writes that Cox has been calling High-Definition TV owners during the past few weeks, asking for their opinions on a series of seven options. (It's unknown if Cox has conducted the survey outside of the Arizona area.)
With each option, the number of access channels decrease and the number of high-def and on-demand channels increase. The Daily Star reports that cable access advocates and some residents say the calls suggest that viewers won't get more high-def channels unless they support fewer access channels.
"All the questions were setting up a trade of either you get High-Definition channels or you get community-access channels," Tucson resident Sharon Kha told the newspaper. "I felt manipulated by the questions."
Contacted by the newspaper, Cox would not comment specifically on the survey. The company's vice president for Southern Arizona said Cox occasionally does customer research and "in all likelihood there is a survey going on."
According to the Daily Star, Cox has lobbied in Arizona to reduce the number of cable access channels it is required to offer. With fewer cable-access channels, Cox would have more system space to provide high-def channels.
This has generated protests that Cox is purposely using language in the phone conversations that would steer the customers to say they prefer HDTV. Some critics have compared the calls to 'Push-Polling," a method frequently used in political campaigns to influence public opinion.
The calls were reported in today's Arizona Daily Star.
The newspaper writes that Cox has been calling High-Definition TV owners during the past few weeks, asking for their opinions on a series of seven options. (It's unknown if Cox has conducted the survey outside of the Arizona area.)
With each option, the number of access channels decrease and the number of high-def and on-demand channels increase. The Daily Star reports that cable access advocates and some residents say the calls suggest that viewers won't get more high-def channels unless they support fewer access channels.
"All the questions were setting up a trade of either you get High-Definition channels or you get community-access channels," Tucson resident Sharon Kha told the newspaper. "I felt manipulated by the questions."
Contacted by the newspaper, Cox would not comment specifically on the survey. The company's vice president for Southern Arizona said Cox occasionally does customer research and "in all likelihood there is a survey going on."
According to the Daily Star, Cox has lobbied in Arizona to reduce the number of cable access channels it is required to offer. With fewer cable-access channels, Cox would have more system space to provide high-def channels.
"The survey will
say that Tucsonans prefer high-def over cable
access," Kha predicted.
However, a Cox spokesman disagreed.
"We're always doing research to find out what our customers' expectations are," he said. "We've got to know what they want."
However, a Cox spokesman disagreed.
"We're always doing research to find out what our customers' expectations are," he said. "We've got to know what they want."