It’s not often I feel moved to get on board and start blogging about a company’s services. But then I guess it is not often that you come across this kind of package. So without further ado, a rundown of the services I’m talking about:

Comcast internet digital TV and telephone services can be combined or bought separately. The telephone service works like your own personal VoIP and lets you do three way calling, has call waiting and will supply caller ID where you caller has not disabled the function. Roll the telephone service together with everything else (TV and internet) and you end up with one low monthly bill and three great services.

Comcast is the company that made waves with an introduction of an internet initiative to help out families struggling on the digital poverty line (you’ll sometimes hear that referred to as the digital divide” – a theoretical threshold below which families don’t have access to the web because the equipment and connections cost too much). The company has continued its mission to supply low cost broadband services with its normal domestic packages – telephony, TV and net in one.

Comcast’s TV packages are designed to make the most of the digital source the programming comes from. Every package is supplied with a Parental Controls option, which ensures that your kids don’t end up watching stuff you don’t want them to. You also get an easy to use intuitive program guide, which means you can set up recording schedules as well as flicking straight off to your favourite shows.

Comcast internet all in one packages also have an HDTV option – using semi-fibre optic transmission for crystal clear pictures every time and no distortion or delay. The same goes for the digital voice packages, which are not hampered by any distortion either.

Comcast claims that its high speed internet connection can supply downloads of up to 100 times the speed of a regular dial up. On average what you are really looking at (in modern day terms) is a download speed of maybe 8 MBps, which is of course insanely fast for an affordable domestic linkup. With this kind of breakneck speed involved you can keep a whole house full of net users happy all at the same time – even if every member of the family is using a different device in a different room!

That’s where the packages score for us, of course, With our techie household, we have more computing equipment than we do people. The beauty of the Comcast internet system is that this does not matter anymore. Now I can work on presentations late into the night while my son devours online games and my twin daughters get all mushy over their latest musical crushes. And my wife doesn’t complain because she’s got the sharpest HDTV on the street. Ideal!

A new plan launched by Comcast dubbed “Internet Essentials” will help low-income families afford the internet for just $10 a month.

Comcast, whose lowest priced plans range between $40 and $60, have decided to bring the internet to more families across the country who can’t afford their current rates. The internet connection features 1.5 Mbps download and 384 Kbps upload speed. There’s also a guarantee of no price increases after the fact.

To join the program, however, families have to meet four different criteria: They have to be located in an area where Comcast can actually deliver Internet service (obviously), one of their children has to be receiving free school lunches via the National School Lunch Program, families must not have had Comcast Internet service up to 90 days prior to requesting to join the program, and families must not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned Comcast equipment.

Read more at PCMag

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The Rev. Al Sharpton and MSNBC are being attacked by critics for the network’s recent hiring of Sharpton to replace weekday host Cenk Uygur.

We at NewsOne always liked Uygur, even before his MSNBC show. We consider ourselves to be political progressives. We like MSNBC’s forward lean, in word and often in deed. And we like Sharpton, who has been a strong voice for Black America, and a friend to us here at NewsOne.

But there is something quite hypocritical about the current criticism coming from Uygur, from his liberal colleagues at the Huffington Post, and from investigative reporters at The Daily Beast charging that Sharpton’s ascension at MSNBC is nothing more than a reward for publicly supporting the NBC-Comcast merger, in an alleged mutual back-scratching scheme for his current employer, Radio One.

Sharpton’s critics should know better. In this emerging, merging Web 2.0 media world, we are all in a tangled web of relationships.  NewsOne, for those who don’t already know, is owned by Radio One. The Rev. Al Sharpton is a blogger on our platform. Readers may have reason to believe that we’d be predisposed to support Sharpton because of our relationship to him. But Uygur’s colleague at the Huffington Post, Jason Linkins, fulminated at Sharpton and MSNBC without once disclosing that the Huffington Post also provides a platform for Uygur. To make matters more complex, both the Huffington Post and The Daily Beast have cordial relationships with Radio One websites to exchange links to articles on our sites. And Radio One has just solidified a sales partnership with a site that was until now a competitor of ours, TheGrio.com, which is a part of NBC News.

In the new media world, we are all related. The test of journalism in the 21st century is whether news organizations are committed to telling the truth regardless of those relationships.

So let’s tell some truth.

In dumping Uygur for Sharpton, MSNBC has been assailed  for dropping a progressive critic of Obama in favor of someone who has stated his support for the president — not his unmitigated support, not his uncritical support, but support nonetheless. What’s missing in this analysis is that Sharpton largely mirrors the Black American viewpoint on this. And until Sharpton, how many Black commentators with their own, branded show did cable news have?

Zero.

So while we lament that one progressive voice was dimmed to make way for Sharpton, we are disappointed that white American critics who call themselves “progressive” seem to forget that we still are in need of a lot of progress when it comes to Black viewpoints being expressed in mainstream channels, and Black talent being given an equal chance to shine.

Progressives are equally critical on this point. Linkins called Sharpton a non-talent. Others claim that Sharpton is not qualified for the host chair because he is not a journalist.

Of course, Sharpton isn’t a journalist — but neither are many of the hosts of successful cable news shows. These hosts are employed because they can articulate an opinion and galvanize an audience. And Sharpton, even as a replacement host,  has been killing it in the ratings, handily beating folks like CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. This current ratings success is of course not cited in these media critics’ essays. As for talent, anyone who has seen Sharpton take on his opponents — whether in live debate or tearing into Tea Partiers on MSNBC — would know that Sharpton is indeed the real thing. Linkins stated that he was out of the country when the Uygur-Sharpton switch went down, so perhaps he needs to catch up on his viewing.

Then there are the charges of conflict of interest. Leave aside the aforementioned tangle of relationships, and let’s look at the argument on its merits. NBC and Comcast wished to merge. Whenever large corporations merge, corporations must be accountable to the laws regarding fair and unfair competition; and thus the public and special interests have an opportunity to influence these behemoths to extract concessions that might normally be impossible to get. Sharpton and his National Action Network have, many times in the past, used these occasions to advance the cause of Black American economic well being, for both Black labor and Black capital. And Sharpton, on the occasion of this proposed merger, loudly supported a proposal to mandate a combined NBCU/Comcast entity that will fund several African-American and minority-owned cable networks, a stipulation that has become part of the deal.

That function is Sharpton’s real job — always has been, always will be, no matter how many radio or TV shows he hosts. And yet Wayne Barrett intimates that Sharpton endorsed the deal mainly to enrich his “employer” Radio One (with whom Sharpton has a contract to host a show).

Sharpton would — and has — put it in simpler terms. The NBC-Comcast merger was good for Black business and Black people, period. And if progressives point to Sharpton’s relationship to Radio One as a bad thing, one might ask them this: Wouldn’t a Black-owned media company be crazy not to offer a platform to the most renowned Black political commentator and activist who is not actually a politician? And in a world where their own so-called progressive political platforms give so little of their own platforms to Black commentators and activists, how can they possibly fault Sharpton for taking a good offer? Until the CNNs and FOXes and other media companies follow NBC-Comcast’s decent example of diversity (not just with Sharpton’s MSNBC show, but also with the NBC News-backed site, The Grio), they really have no high ground on which to mount their high horse.

Progressives have long sneered at Sharpton’s tactics to bring corporate America to the bargaining table when it comes to diversity. But when even so-called progressives can’t be counted on to see things from the perspective of the ethnic groups they purport to embrace, is it any wonder that Sharpton makes no apologies?

We, at least, never had to wonder.

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The Daily Beast Reports:

Washington — A minority media group is taking its opposition to the Comcast-NBC Universal merger directly to President Obama, citing his promises to foster diversity and fight corruption.

The National Coalition of African American Owned Media (NCAAOM) bought a full page ad in the Washington Post on Monday panning the deal, which is under review in the Justice Department and at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The ad is written specifically for Obama.

It includes an excerpt of a letter he sent to the FCC while he was a senator advocating for greater diversity in media ownership.

Read more at TheHill

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Ron Phillips is the Senior Vice President of Employee Engagement for Comcast Cable.

In this newly created role that reports directly to Ken Carrig, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Comcast Cable, Phillips will be responsible for overseeing employee relations, labor relations, compliance, and employee loyalty and retention.  Phillips previously served as Vice President of Human Resources for Comcast’s West Division in Englewood, Colorado, and Vice President of Human Resources in Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region.

As Vice President of Human Resources in Comcast’s West Division, Phillips was responsible for leading the development and implementation of human resources policies, programs, and practices for the division, including employment, labor relations, compensation, training, and employee services.

Prior to joining Comcast, Phillips was the Senior Manager of Human Resources for Ryder Transportation, where he led the human resources function for two regions, including 21 customer business units across 18 states.  He also held human resources leadership roles with McDonald’s Corporation and the Auto Warehousing Company.

Phillips holds a B.A. degree in Criminal Justice from Virginia State University and earned his J.D. degree from the University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law.  He also holds a Certificate of Organizational Development from DePaul University and is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the National Sales Network (NSN), the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR), the Organizational Development Network (ODNetwork) and the National Black MBA Association.  Phillips will be relocating with his wife, Lynette, and two children from his home in Aurora, Colorado, to the Philadelphia region.

Barbara Gee is Vice President of Strategic Sales Alliances for Comcast Cable Communications. In this role, she is responsible for the company’s e-commerce sales strategy, third party sales alliances, and increasing acquisition and retention of moving customers.

Barbara began her career with Comcast in 2001 as National Director of Alternative Sales Channels, where she developed the company’s third party sales strategy, defined success criteria, implemented the necessary models and operational processes and established sound business relationships with key companies that extend Comcast’s sales reach.

Prior to joining Comcast, Barbara served as Director of Network Sales for Exelon. There she created a new telecommunications business sales unit that produced revenue in its first full year. She also managed the sales force integration of five newly-acquired companies.

Barbara began her career with Verizon, where she held various progressively senior positions in sales, marketing, product and brand management and advertising.  She received both a Bachelors degree in Communications, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Pennsylvania State University. Barbara completed Comcast’s premier leadership development program, “Executive Leadership Forum,” and has served multiple times as a coach for the program.  Barbara also completed Cornell University’s Women’s Leadership Program in 2005, and in 2006, she completed the National Association of Multiculturalism in Communications (NAMIC) Executive Leadership Development Program at UCLA. She is a current fellow in the industry’s flagship women’s leadership program, Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, Class XX.

In 2007, Barbara was recognized as a Next Generation Leader by NAMIC, and that same year, was featured in CableWorld magazine as one of four industry “Cable Marketing Heroes.” She has been named to MultiChannel News and CableFax’s 100 Most Influential Minorities in Cable in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and was awarded the NAMIC-Philadelphia Paragon Award in May, 2008.

Barbara served as 2009 President of NAMIC, Philadelphia Chapter; sits on the Board of Directors for the Emma Bowen Foundation, and on the advisory board of the Philadelphia Writing Project at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She is committed to giving back, and is passionate about mentoring.

Steven C. Gillenwater, divisional vice president of human resources, is responsible for all people-related functions including compensation and benefits, diversity, employee relations, labor relations, HR communication, HR policy, performance management, talent acquisition, and talent management.

Steven has been a part of the Southern Division since August, 2005, when he joined us as regional vice president of human resources for the Mid-South Region. He has been an HR Professional for over 18 years. Prior to joining Comcast in 2000, he was the director of human resources for Wesley Industries, Inc. in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a tier one automotive supplier and Warren/Conner Development Coalition in Detroit, Michigan, where he led the human resources and administration functions for a large community based non-profit located in a former Enterprise Zone.

Steven has held several senior leadership positions in three different divisions of Comcast. In his most recent role for the Southern Division, he was responsible for field operations, employee relations and labor relations, including negotiating collective bargaining agreements. He has held similar positions in the former Midwest and Atlantic Divisions, as well as Regional HR Lead positions.

Steven holds a Master’s Degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix in Southfield, Michigan, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in communications from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he was a scholarship athlete. He is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

Tina serves as Senior Vice President of Customer Service Operations for Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.   She is responsible for customer experience strategy and tactical implementation, eCare operations, agent desktop tools deployment and enhancements.   Care employee development programs for Comcast’s call centers are a key responsibility.  Tina develops outsource partner strategy, has responsibility for managing outsource call center partnerships, and workforce capacity management.  Additionally, Tina has responsibility for consumer care inquiries, Digital Care, and customer outreach for the Office of the President.

Tina began her career with Bell Atlantic (Verizon) as Manager of Call Centers for Small Businesses in Pennsylvania and Delaware.  She then transitioned to PECO Energy as Call Center Manager for call centers serving 1.5 million customers.   Tina was able to use her operations experience to identify and share customer care best practices in her role as Practice Manager for GartnerGroup’s Contact Center Assessment service.  She also built the Customer Care practice at Software Consulting Group.

A College of Commerce & Finance graduate of Villanova University, Waters received a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Tina graduated from Comcast’s premiere leadership development program – Executive Leadership Forum.  Tina completed the Harvard Business School & CTAM (Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing) Executive Management program.  She is a member of CTAM and the co-chair for the Cable Center Customer Care Committee.  Tina is also a member and mentor for Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) and the National Association of Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). Tina serves as a Chapter Advisor for the NAMIC Board.  Tina holds Comcast’s board seat with Urban League of Philadelphia. She is also a board member of Montgomery County Headstart.  Tina is a member of the Phi Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Tina has received the YMCA of Delaware Achiever award and Villanova University’s Eby Award for Outstanding Post Graduate Achievement.  In 2009, Tina was included among the Top 50 Most Influential Minorities in Cable by CableFAX magazine, and she has frequently been recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Minorities in Cable and Most Powerful Women in Cable by Cableworld magazine.  Additionally, Tina received the “Movers and Shakers” award from the American Women’s Heritage Society, Inc. and was recognized by the Philadelphia City Council for this honor.  Tina is the 2005 winner of NAMIC’s Paragon Award.  Tina received WICT’s Liberty Award in 2006.  In 2007, Waters became a Class XIV Fellow of the WICT Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.  Tina was recently named as a “Woman to Watch” by Multichannel News and a “Woman of Distinction” by the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Tina resides in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania with her family.

Andrea A. Agnew, a leader in the field of human resources, currently serves as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Comcast Cable Communications in Philadelphia. Agnew is responsible for developing strategies and building programs to enhance Comcast’s Corporate Human Resources diversity strategy. She works closely with senior leadership to integrate diversity and equity practices into institutional employment and workplace practices, as well as develop diversity training collateral and diversity presentations.

She was previously the corporate diversity recruitment manager for the international consulting firm of Booz Allen Hamilton and a recruiting manager for the accounting firm of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP.  Agnew joined Girl Scouts as a leader for her daughter’s Junior troop for girls with special needs.  She is a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board in Philadelphia, and the Temple School of Medicine Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Advisory Board.

She volunteers with the Comcast Cares Day, Big Brothers Big Sisters Beyond School Walls program, the Urban League of Philadelphia, and is active in a number of other community organizations.

She has been honored by her peers for Diversity Best Practices in Leadership in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and as a Women of Distinction in 2005 by Booz Allen Hamilton’s Women of Greater Washington D.C. Metro Area.

Agnew is a graduate of UCLA’s Executive Leadership Development Program of the Anderson School of Business, and the Urban League’s Leaders Forum. She resides with her younger daughter, Caitlin, a Girl Scout Caddette, in Haddonfield, New Jersey and has a grown daughter, Alicia, a graduate of Penn State.