Cablevision's Deceptive Business Practices

I live in SW CT where my only option for cable TV service is through Cablevision.  I have a friend with connections to a senior executive at Verizon FiOS who confirms my residence is unable to subscribe to their service at this time.  Too bad.  I'd be on the phone in a second after the latest attempt by Cablevision to wring yet more dollars out of their existing subscriber base.  I believe they call this "monetization".  You see, I woke today to find 16 cable channels removed from Family Cable package to which I subscribe.  Only a brief note on my most recent cable bill indicated this would occur.  I visited the Cablevision web site to search for any information about this action but nothing was listed on the home page, or anywhere else of logic for that matter.  It was only when I clicked on the Customer Service tab AND searched on the proper phrase that my query was answered.  Cablevision is "removing the duplicate analog feed of select channels. While these channels will remain in your current package, they require a digital cable box or CableCARD-equipped device to receive them on your television*".  Notice the asterick?  This takes you to the fine print that states you have to pay additional monthly fees for the digital cable box or a cable card, assuming your TV is cable card ready.  All in the name of adding more HD channels and "monetization".

I'm a digital savvy guy who has an HDTV with an HD Cable box, but I also have several analog TVs in other rooms in my home.  And I understand why Cablevision might wish to take these steps.  Why transmit duplicate channels and incur incremental costs to do so?  But as a consumer I have entered a contract with Cablevision for a certain service package.  That package does NOT state that I have to have a digital cable box or a cable card to receive analog signals on my "low tech" TVs.  It simply states the channels that are delivered to my home for a specific fee per month.  These channels are no longer available, hence Cablevision has broken the contract.  Should I still be required to pay a fee for services that are no longer rendered or provided?  I am still being billed for a cable programming package that includes almost 50% of the channels to which I originally subscribed for my analog TVs.  The message from Cablevision is clear.  Upgrade or else.

Its like going to the supermarket to buy your favorite item.  When you get there you notice the packaging has been changed but hope that, inside, the content is the same.  But something looks different.  While the package may be the same size, or slightly less, something has changed.  One glance at the weight tells the story.  The manufacturer has put less in the box, fancied up the packaging and kept the price the same.  It called a price increase folks.  Less product for the same amount.  This is EXACTLY what Cablevision is doing to its analog cable subscribers.  The "package" offers less but is the same monthly price.  The message is clear.  One way or another, if you remain a Cablevision customer, you are going to pay more for your cable programming service.  Its taking steps to move customers from the analog system, slowly but surely.  But the method they are using will surely drive a large percentage of these customers to alternative services.  While the number of TVs per household is still around 3, I doubt all of these TVs are digital or cable card ready.  I'm a business guy so I understand the simple economics of this transition.  I just hate the way Cablevision is going about it.  Its sneaky and deceptive.  FiOS can't get here fast enough for me.