We are located in Ocean county (Toms River/Brick) Area. Zip (08723)-- Local Cable Provider- Compact Cable.
My wife & myself are located in northern Ocean County, NJ. The Cable company as well as Sat. Provider offers BOTH Local Network Channels, coming out of the NY DMA, & Philadelphia DMA- This is due to our (BTN) Service location in Central/Southern NJ.
Our concern is that we have been Fios Internet/Phone customers for about 2 Years- Since we have disconnected from our Cable Company that serves all of Ocean County, NJ for 40+ Years, since NJ is a very small state, Cable & Sat Companies have offered BOTH Local Network Affiliate channels from Philadelphia and New York, With exception to Fios-Tv, Which we have just upgraded to, and dropped Cable. This seems to be a very LARGE problem in Ocean County, NJ - & it seems as though Verizon Fios-TV has not addressed this situation very much.
We connected with your full TV service about 30 days ago. Upon installation, the Verizon Tech had informed me that Fios, In Ocean County, NJ is only carrying ( 1 ) Philadelphia Local Network Station at this time. I had a conversation with the Verizon Tech about the Local Channel Line-Up, and explained that we were VERY disappointed that you are not carrying any Philadelphia Local network channels, with the exception of ( WPVI- 6 ABC ) -- Which infact does come from Philadelphia, but he had informed me that WPVI-PHILA (Local) is the only single channel that you carry in SD & HD. In fact, carrying ABC out of Philadelphia was the smartest move Verizon-Fios-TV has ever done.
In this part of NJ, every single other TV provider does carry ALL Philadelphia Local Network Channels- but Verizon does not. Verizon must understand that I have spoken to several persons in my hometown, and there are many people that (will not connect) with Fios-TV, not Re-new Contracts, or they are Staying with our Local Cable company in Ocean County, NJ in order to get Philadelphia Local Stations. We do get ALL SD & HD Local Network Feeds from New York City, But Unlike Cable or Sat.-- Fios has recently decided to add just one channel that feeds out of Philadelphia (DMA). By Law, as a (Cable Company)- Per Say, Like Fios, May approach our Local sister stations and have them fed into our area, obviously- because Our cable company currently in Ocean County, NJ does offer all of the Philadelphia Local Stations. These are known as significantly viewed channels, because we are in the "Center" of (2) Major cities, Which we happen to be.
Verizon, like I had said- made a very "Wise" choice by adding at-least (1) Philadelphia channel- WPVI - 6ABC (Phila). Unfortunatley, this is the only single channel that Verizon Fios added to it's Ocean County NJ- Lineup. With all of the technology that Verizon has aquired since the announcement of "Fios Services" -- I am frankly shocked that Verizon did not follow in it's competitors Foot-Steps, by adding All or if not most of the Local Philadelphia channels, besides WPVI-PHILA- To it's Lineup.
The persons that I am employed with in this area, several, plan to "Boot" Fios-Tv, for the simple fact that you only carry all of the NY Local Network Affilates in this area, but you refuse to carry the rest of the Philadelphia (DMA) Local channels when this area of New Jersey is entitled to view those Local channels, Not only New York Local channels. Verizon may have reached the amount of "customers" it wanted to gain with Fios-Services in Northern Ocean county, NJ- But Eventually from the persons I have spoken to are just waiting for their Verizon Contracts to "Expire"- simply to go back to Cable TV in order to view all Philadelphia Local channels, and NY Local channels with Digital Cable-TV.
Even though persons in Ocean County do get ALL NY Locals, in SD & HD with Fios-TV--- With some blog research the (One) Philadelphia Local channel is just not enough for customers in this area of NJ. My wife wants to pay a 360$ Cancelation fee to Verizon, Simply to get "All" of our "Missed" Philadelphia Local Stations that Cable Carries on our very same "Street".
Again, with extensive research & reading, 3/4 of NJ is very dissapointed that Fios-Tv does "Not" carry the Philadelphia Local Affiliates in ZIP- 08723, or 08753. From what I have researched, There are many people that are just waiting for their Agreement to "Expire", so they can go back to Cable's- Triple Play, With both NY & Philadelphia Local channels available in our area. It is ashame, Fios is a GREAT Service, but I would have to agree that having 25 NY local channels in southern NJ, and only having 1 Philadelphia local channel in southern NJ is enough to make us Disconnect Service in 2011, and go back to Cable to get all/both NY & Philadelphia Network Local Channels.
Mercer County, NJ is 30-40 Miles "North" of here, and Fios-Tv Gives them both full sets of Locals from NY & Philadelphia!
There are many complaints about Ocean County, NJ regarding NY-PHILA Local Channels. When will Verizon try to keep more customers, and add these channels to Ocean County, NJ? This is why people in this area refuse to go with Fios-TV, For now hopefully one day I will turn my Fios-Box on and I will see more then (One) Philadelphia Local Channel !! Someone please fight for your Local Philadelphia Stations in addition to your service! We have been waiting.
Thank You Very Much,
Have a Great Day. -- Loyal Fios Customer
