Michael's Insight

Happy Birthday Michael's Insight

It's been a year this week since I started writing this blog.  Admittedly, I was forewarned by friends that the blogosphere could be a pretty tough place and that certainly has proven out to be true.  During the past year, the subjects that encouraged the most reaction from readers were network management, consumption billing, broadband caps, and a-la-carte video. 

On this first anniversary of Michael's Insight, I thought it would be interesting to review some of the more colorful reader comments that have been posted so, here it goes... 

• You and all of your peers are full of the smelly stuff

• I would love to be able to pay for and download Blu-Ray movies. But, since no one is selling them this way I download them for free.

• Michael, when you say things like this:  "But, it makes me wonder why P2P enthusiasts invest so much time and money...."  It makes it so obvious how "old media" you are. 

• Michael is an executive.  When he goes into his business meetings with other executives, he goes in there to discuss what will benefit the company.  NOT THE CONSUMER.  Don't let him fool you.

• Your way of thinking is flawed and self deprecating.

• Michael, you are either lying when you state caps are needed or really have no clue about how your company actually works.

• ANYTHING can be tested.  I could go throw a pig off the roof to see if it sprouts wings and flies, but it won't.

• This is a sign of the content creators being behind the times when it comes to providing access to movies and music to the public. Thus, people find avenues to do this illegally.  When this many people break the law, it's not a legal issue.  It's a public protest.

• Re-runs, trashy reality shows, and constantly repeated recent hit movies?  This is the "rich, diverse content" available on cable networks?  Puh-lease.  Gimme a break! 

• When I watched an Insight commercial, I thought you were really just an actor, but no, it's really you!  Really?  Can I pinch you?

• If advertisers want my viewership, give me commercials that don't suck.  Make me laugh or show me something interesting, and don't show it to me 500 times.  Otherwise, you can pry my fast forward and mute buttons from my cold, dead hands. 

• This (Verizon's phone plan to offer a package with no outbound calling) is an awesome idea!!!  Everytime my mother-in-law called I'd say, "I'll call you back as soon as I can".

• So, no, I don't believe music piracy is the same as "walking into a music store and stealing a CD".

• In your post from last May titled "Cable A-La-Carte - A Great Idea, or Is It?" you say the reason you oppose a la carte is that it will dumb down television.  Too late, Michael. You've already done that.

• Thanks for the great offerings and the vastly improved customer service.  Now if you could just lower those prices!

• My power has been out for over 25 hours now.  My cable is lower priority for me.  I want to take a hot shower.

• Micheal is one of the most annoying people I've ever seen.  The best thing he could do for the customer is keep quiet.  He loves to blow his own horn though.

I hope this blog has been interesting and thought provoking.  From my point of view, I have learned a great deal about what people are thinking of our services and policies.  I often share readers' thoughts with the Insight management team and industry policymakers when we discuss policy and new products.  I hope you realize the extent which your comments have become an important ingredient in our thinking.

Thanks for your readership and your input.  And here's to another year of open communications!

Celebrating CableFAX's "Best of the Web" award

Forgive me.  I have to brag. 

Yesterday, CableFAX, the cable industry's daily publication that delivers important business and regulatory updates, held their first "Best of the Web" awards ceremony in New York City. I was thrilled to hear that this blog was recognized by CableFAX as the cable industry's best blog. Here's what they had to say about it:

Winner

Insight Communications, Michael’s Insight
Michael Willner, CEO

Yes, CEO blogs often are boring regurgitations of the company line. Not Willner’s blog, which aims beyond Insight subs to, as he blogged recently, “people all around the country who simply are interested in telecommunications issues.” His numerous well-written posts usually comment on policy. But we also love his well-written (ahem) insights about fascinating tech, like Facebook.

I want to thank CableFAX and their judges for this award. I am deeply honored.  Almost a year ago, I started this blog with a mission to challenge the conventional thinking about how a cable company (and more generally, a CEO) should communicate with its customers, policy makers, and others who are just simply interested in our business. So far, thanks to a group of loyal readers that enjoy challenging me and asking great questions, I think this effort has been a huge success. I've learned a lot about what some of our tech savvy readers are looking for, and I share those views with the management team charged with making key decisions.  I hope my readers have learned a bit about the issues that we deal with in providing our customers with cable, phone and broadband services and benefited from my (ahem) insights.

The digital transition, as clear as it gets

I sat down with WHAS TV reporter Andy Treinen on Wednesday to talk about the digital television transition that will be happening next year on February 17th.

Andy put together an excellent story that helped to clarify what consumers need to know to successfully transition from the current analog television transmission to digital. His story also mentioned Insight's transition of HBO, HBO2 and Showtime.

Blogosphere Enjoys the Battle of the Policy Wonks

Lots of coverage about the Tauke / McSlarrow debate last week.

Let's understand exactly what happened here.  Briefly, the FCC found that Verizon was violating a critical provision in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that prohibited phone companies from using their 100-year-old monopoly power to stifle competition in the long run.

How could Verizon do that? 

Attention all blog readers! You must see this!!

I think this may be a first in the Blogosphere.  It's a front row seat to a debate between two top level telecommunications policy leaders. It was so good and so timely, I couldn't wait until Monday.

In this corner (wearing the white hat) ;-) is Kyle McSlarrow, President and CEO of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.  And in that corner (wearing the black hat) is Tom Tauke, Executive Vice President - Public Affairs, Policy and Communications for Verizon. 

I posted a link to the debate below but first, a brief explanation. 

Blogging and customer care

A few colleagues have asked me if writing this blog has exposed me to an onslaught of customer complaints.   They also wonder, if I have received some, how do I handle them. 

I'm pleased to report that, although there have been a few individual service-related comments posted, it has really only been a handful.

To begin this discussion, I thought I should highlight the recently-added message on the left side of this blog's main page regarding comments:

Bloggers say set-top boxes likely to be around for a while

With the news that Sony has agreed to include the cable industry's Tru2Way platform in new televisions coming to market, some news outlets and blogs predicted the "death of the cable box." Not so fast, say IP Democracy and The Bauminator.

Cynthia Brumfield at IP Democracy lists four reasons why she thinks that cable set-top boxes won't disappear overnight.

One blogger reacts to my a-la-carte post

Blogs covering The Cable Show

As the final day of The Cable Show winds down, I wanted to point your attention to a couple of blogs that are covering the events and exhibitors here in New Orleans. EngadgetHD has a great photographic tour of the convention floor's various exhibitors. EngadgetHD also has a series of individual product-based articles about the exhibitors here.

Over at IP Democracy you can read about U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez's comments on net neutrality (supportive of "reasonable network management") and a panel discussion that was held by three former FCC members acting as proxies for the presidential candidates on the issue of broadband policy.

And the Blogs, They Are a Changin' (The World!)

Two years ago, we had to migrate our broadband service in a very short time.  We ran into some real service issues when we were forced to rush the process.  Customers were temporarily experiencing access, speed and email problems.

We decided to confront the problem head-on.  Of course, all of our dedicated people who had any technical expertise worked day and night to fix the problems.  But we also did other things.  We taped some 30-second spots explaining the problems, telling customers what we were doing about it and, of course, apologizing.  We recorded outbound telephone messages and sent emails and letters.  We also increased our inbound call handling capacity as quickly as we could.

And we went on the blogs. 

Why the #*@# Am I Doing This?

It's conventional wisdom.  When it comes to communicating with the public, most companies take the safest path.  They usually play their cards pretty close to their chest.  I'm joining the blogsosphere to challenge that "wisdom."

So, I have created this blog and will use a part of my day to write about what is going on in the world of cable.  I hope to discuss the things that we at Insight Communications and others in the cable industry deal with in bringing you your cable, Internet and phone services.