The short answer, for those who haven’t figured it out on their own, is that MSNBC has moved to Comcast channel 81. Well, sort of. It’s on channel 81 for customers with the kind of digital converter box that Comcast told its lucky customers in countless pre-digital-switch advertisements they wouldn’t be needing. For basic expanded cable viewers without a box, MSNBC has been moved to Channel 105. That means that fans of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow who currently only have expanded basic are probably going to require an upgrade. The big question, obviously, is “Why only MSNBC?” Why not CNN? Why not Fox News?
Comcast customers who call the cable giant’s Memphis office to find out why they now need a digital box to keep watching MSNBC have been getting answers ranging from “Government regulation” to “We’re phasing out analog cable.” After being told there was nobody in management who could field questions and explain the decision in detail, one customer service rep told the Flyer that the decision to move away from expanded basic and into cable box-only territory was made by the network. MSNBC, she said, thought it would be “beneficial.” MSNBC says none of this true.
