Comcast Network
Encyclopedia
Comcast Network is a cable
television station that is shown mostly in parts of Comcast Cable services in the Eastern part of the US. Viewed in four states and 20 television markets from New Jersey
to Virginia
on Comcast
cable systems. The main focus of the network is Philadelphia although they attempt to make their shows look like national shows. Key markets include New Jersey
, the Pennsylvania
cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
and Harrisburg
, Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C.
and Richmond, Virginia
. Comcast Network, which employs more than 400 people in its footprint, was founded in 1996 and now airs more than 90 hours a week of original programming from two to three studios in Philadelphia and Washington. The network's programming and hosts have been recognized by the television industry with more than 370 regional Emmy Award nominations, with a network demographic for people over 40 years of age.
The CN8 brand was discontinued in early 2009, as part of a larger restructuring of the network in order to respond to low ratings
as well as closing down in the New England
market, where its primary market was Boston
. The Philadelphia and Washington feeds have been split into separate networks solely branded as "The Comcast Network," which will henceforth report to sister network Comcast SportsNet
.
, which is played three times a day and has been on the air for over 10 years. The restructuring of the network has now reduced it to a half-hour pre-recorded program from a live one-hour show. Another key show in the station's lineup is Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, a show that focuses on issues pertaining to seniors. It features the wife of the founder of Comcast, Suzanne Roberts.
Shows broadcast on The Comcast Network) include:
Comcast Network has recently made the leap from linear television programming to Video on demand
content. Original programs are available On Demand immediately following their live broadcast for viewing any time day or night for up to three days. In addition, special broadcast events are also made available On Demand for up to two weeks following their original air time. In an effort to ramp up its political coverage, Comcast Network offers local political coverage On Demand as well. Political viewers have access to Candidates On Demand, the Philadelphia Mayoral Race, Political Conventions, Presidential Debates, and President Gerald Ford
’s memorial services, among others.
Comcast Network Sports produces and airs more than 200 local, regional and national sports events each year. These broadcasts include collegiate teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer and lacrosse; “Varsity GameNight” featuring regional high-school football and basketball match-ups and playoffs; professional and amateur sports events including boxing, figure skating, gymnastics, baseball, tennis, rodeo; and more.
CN Philadelphia carries NISL
soccer games for the Philadelphia KiXX
as well as select minor league baseball games, generally from the Eastern League
. CN Philadelphia carries "overflow" games when at least two of the Philadelphia Phillies
, Philadelphia Flyers
, Philadelphia Union or Philadelphia 76ers
play at the same time, with one of the games airing on either CSN Philadelphia or (as of 2009) WPHL-TV
.
In Western Pennsylvania
, the Comcast Network broadcasts live and tape delayed
collegiate sports of the University of Pittsburgh
, branded as Pitt Panthers Television, on channel 188 or 210.
In addition, CN Washington has carried Washington Capitals
and Washington Wizards
games when overflowing with Comcast SportsNet's Mid-Atlantic networks as well.
Within the last year, Comcast Network has made a big push to have more of a national presence, including the addition of a flagship studio in the Washington, DC market. Located on Capitol Hill, the studio hosts a variety of local and federal government leaders throughout the year. The network hired Robert Traynham as the Washington Bureau Chief for the network. Traynahm hosts “Roll Call TV with Robert Traynham”, CN’s show that focuses on legislative issues throughout the DC area. “Roll Call” is the first show to originate from the network's studio in the nation’s capital.
. However, it is not available in High Definition for FIOS subscribers. This causes some consternation in regards to sports rights, as TCN's Philadelphia channel is not available on the pay television system for the University of Pennsylvania
, which has a satellite-based system and has much of their sports content carried by TCN Philadelphia (the same issues exist for sister network CSN Philadelphia).
The network was criticized by local Boston media for forcing the public access
broadcaster Brookline Access Television of Brookline, Massachusetts
out of their shared space at Comcast's Brookline office and studios and forcing that provider to seek different facilities, to allow Comcast full use of the studio for CN8's New England operations until their discontinuation in 2009.
cable systems carry a different Comcast Network, unrelated to those in Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic region called CN100. It is the home of the AHL
Chicago Wolves
.
, this channel is used mostly for infomercials and classified ads as well as occasional sports telecasts and public affairs shows.
(CET).
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
television station that is shown mostly in parts of Comcast Cable services in the Eastern part of the US. Viewed in four states and 20 television markets from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
cable systems. The main focus of the network is Philadelphia although they attempt to make their shows look like national shows. Key markets include New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Comcast Network, which employs more than 400 people in its footprint, was founded in 1996 and now airs more than 90 hours a week of original programming from two to three studios in Philadelphia and Washington. The network's programming and hosts have been recognized by the television industry with more than 370 regional Emmy Award nominations, with a network demographic for people over 40 years of age.
The CN8 brand was discontinued in early 2009, as part of a larger restructuring of the network in order to respond to low ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
as well as closing down in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
market, where its primary market was Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The Philadelphia and Washington feeds have been split into separate networks solely branded as "The Comcast Network," which will henceforth report to sister network Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....
.
Shows broadcast
The network's flagship show is It's Your Call with Lynn DoyleIt's Your Call with Lynn Doyle
It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle is a local-issue-focused call-in show broadcast in the Philadelphia TV market area on CN8. Guests include experts, pundits, and politicians from Philadelphia, surrounding counties and southern New Jersey...
, which is played three times a day and has been on the air for over 10 years. The restructuring of the network has now reduced it to a half-hour pre-recorded program from a live one-hour show. Another key show in the station's lineup is Seeking Solutions with Suzanne, a show that focuses on issues pertaining to seniors. It features the wife of the founder of Comcast, Suzanne Roberts.
Shows broadcast on The Comcast Network) include:
- American Builder with Brian Gurry Sun@7pm / Mon@6:30pm
- Art Fennell Reports Sun@9pm / Thur@5:30pm
- It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle Sun@8:30pm / Mon@ 5:30pm
- Seeking Solutions with Suzanne Sun@7:30pm
- Flavors of America Mon - Fri@4:30pm
- The Chef's Kitchen Mon - Fri@5pm
- Larry KaneLarry KaneLarry Kane is an American journalist best known as the only American reporter whom The Beatles let travel with them on their 1964 and 1965 North American tours. Kane authored a book about his experiences on the tour, called Ticket To Ride, and Lennon Revealed, a New York Times and Los Angeles...
: Voice Of Reason Sun@9:30pm - Roll Call TV with Robert Traynham Sun@8pm / Tue@5:30pm
- Philadelphia Phillies replays
- National Rugby League
- Australian Rules Football
- US Open 9-Ball Sat@10pm
- Heartland Poker Sat@11pm
- CFL Games
- Ballroom Brawl Boxing
Comcast Network has recently made the leap from linear television programming to Video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
content. Original programs are available On Demand immediately following their live broadcast for viewing any time day or night for up to three days. In addition, special broadcast events are also made available On Demand for up to two weeks following their original air time. In an effort to ramp up its political coverage, Comcast Network offers local political coverage On Demand as well. Political viewers have access to Candidates On Demand, the Philadelphia Mayoral Race, Political Conventions, Presidential Debates, and President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
’s memorial services, among others.
Comcast Network Sports produces and airs more than 200 local, regional and national sports events each year. These broadcasts include collegiate teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer and lacrosse; “Varsity GameNight” featuring regional high-school football and basketball match-ups and playoffs; professional and amateur sports events including boxing, figure skating, gymnastics, baseball, tennis, rodeo; and more.
CN Philadelphia carries NISL
National Indoor Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League , formerly known as the National Indoor Soccer League, is an indoor soccer league which began play in 2008. It is the third league to be known as the Major Indoor Soccer League...
soccer games for the Philadelphia KiXX
Philadelphia KiXX
The Philadelphia KiXX were a professional indoor soccer team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Founded in 1995 as an NPSL expansion franchise, they played in the Major Indoor Soccer League.The team colors were red, black, white, and blue...
as well as select minor league baseball games, generally from the Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
. CN Philadelphia carries "overflow" games when at least two of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Philadelphia Union or Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
play at the same time, with one of the games airing on either CSN Philadelphia or (as of 2009) WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV, channel 17, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by the Tribune Company and currently affiliated with the News Corporation-owned MyNetworkTV television network. This makes it the largest non-O&O station of the network...
.
In Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
, the Comcast Network broadcasts live and tape delayed
Broadcast delay
In radio and television, broadcast delay refers to the practice of intentionally delaying broadcast of live material. A short delay is often used to prevent profanity, bloopers, violence, or other undesirable material from making it to air, including more mundane problems such as technical...
collegiate sports of the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, branded as Pitt Panthers Television, on channel 188 or 210.
In addition, CN Washington has carried Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
games when overflowing with Comcast SportsNet's Mid-Atlantic networks as well.
Within the last year, Comcast Network has made a big push to have more of a national presence, including the addition of a flagship studio in the Washington, DC market. Located on Capitol Hill, the studio hosts a variety of local and federal government leaders throughout the year. The network hired Robert Traynham as the Washington Bureau Chief for the network. Traynahm hosts “Roll Call TV with Robert Traynham”, CN’s show that focuses on legislative issues throughout the DC area. “Roll Call” is the first show to originate from the network's studio in the nation’s capital.
Criticism
As the network is regionally-based and on cable-only in order to expand the value of a cable system, Comcast Network is unavailable via the major satellite services, though it has been made available to subscribers of Verizon FIOSVerizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS is a bundled Internet access, telephone, and television service which operates over a fiber-optic communications network. It is offered in some areas of the United States by Verizon Communications. Verizon was one of the first major U.S...
. However, it is not available in High Definition for FIOS subscribers. This causes some consternation in regards to sports rights, as TCN's Philadelphia channel is not available on the pay television system for the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, which has a satellite-based system and has much of their sports content carried by TCN Philadelphia (the same issues exist for sister network CSN Philadelphia).
The network was criticized by local Boston media for forcing the public access
Public Access
Public Access is a 1993 American drama film directed by Bryan Singer in his feature film debut. Singer also wrote the screenplay with Christopher McQuarrie and Michael Feit Dougan. The film was shot in 18 days for US$250,000. It was screened at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, where it was...
broadcaster Brookline Access Television of Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
out of their shared space at Comcast's Brookline office and studios and forcing that provider to seek different facilities, to allow Comcast full use of the studio for CN8's New England operations until their discontinuation in 2009.
Chicago
Comcast's ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
cable systems carry a different Comcast Network, unrelated to those in Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic region called CN100. It is the home of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
Chicago Wolves
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...
.
Michigan
Comcast Television - Available in MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, this channel is used mostly for infomercials and classified ads as well as occasional sports telecasts and public affairs shows.
Denver
A Comcast local channel similar to CN8 is available in the Denver area, Comcast Entertainment TelevisionComcast Entertainment Television
Comcast Entertainment Television is a regional cable channel serving Comcast's cable systems in the Denver, Colorado market. It is seen on Comcast channel 105 in the Denver market, and channel 105 on Comcast systems in Colorado Springs....
(CET).
San Francisco Bay Area
Comcast Hometown Network is a regional cable network produced by Comcast and available in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central California on Digital Channel 104.External links
- Comcast Network Philadelphia
- Comcast Network Washington
- Chicago's CN100
- Comcast Hometown Network
- Detroit's Comcast Local
- Multichannel News Article on FCC Video News Release controversy