I live in Dallas, Texas. I live in a high rise loft complex, and the only cable option I have is Time Warner Cable. Living on the 10th floor is not conducive to, say, hanging a dish out my window.

You may remember that when I got to meet Stephen Colbert in October, 2008, my audience question was “When are you going to be broadcasting in high def?” (His answer: “I gotta get some work done first, honey.”) This is something that has been on my mind for a *long* time. As soon as Stephen Colbert started hinting about the HD conversion of the show, I knew that the switch was imminent. I started a quiet campaign, both as a customer and as a webmaster, to find out the scoop about when I would be getting Comedy Central HD on my Time Warner Cable. I have a ton of other HD channels, but this particular one is rather near and dear to my heart, as you might imagine. We even sprung for a 42″ flatscreen in anticipation of this conversion.

I tried contacting anyone I thought might have an answer – Comedy Central media relations, Time Warner, both local and national (multiple times), and couldn’t find anyone who might know when Time Warner Cable, specifically the Dallas area, would be carrying Comedy Central HD. I finally sent an e-mail to an executive e-mail address I got from one of my very favorite blogs, The Consumerist. This is the response I got this morning:

Thank you for writing. You have reached Time Warner Cable’s Office of the President. Time Warner Cable does not currently offer Comedy Central HD in your market area at the present time. Unfortunately, we would not be able to provide you with a time frame of when this channel may be available. Time Warner Cable keeps a constant communication in regards to contract agreements that would allow us to display stations on our network. Until a contract is agreed upon, these stations would not be available. Once there is an agreement, notification is usually sent out to our customers indicating the addition of the channel.

Regards,
John Orzolick
Customer Care Advocate
Time Warner Cable Corporate Office

Do you know what that means, kiddos? That means that the webmaster of the friggin’ LARGEST STEPHEN COLBERT SITE ON THE FRIGGIN’ WEB doesn’t get to watch the show in HD when it comes out on January 4, 2010. And, much more importantly, neither do a hell of a lot of other Time Warner Cable customers who also happen to be members of the Colbert Nation.

I know this is more of a personal rant than anything, but I’m cranky. Dammit. I also know that we have a lot of readers who are not in the US who can’t even get the show on their television. For that I do feel fortunate – that I have the money for cable, and the access to the ‘Colbert Report’ on my regular channel. Not all Colbert fans have that. But still, to know it’s out there and to not be able to get it is just irksome.

And just because I’m in a poll type of mood, please give some feedback in the poll below and the comments.

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