Well, the folks at TCI in Des Moines have done it to their customers again.

In a surprising move last month, TCI officials removed WGN from their cable service.

With that move the company angered thousands of customers in Iowa and eastern Illinois who would now be unable to see Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs games. WGN was removed so the company could make room for the channels Animal Planet and Cartoon Channel.

This is just another in a series of corporate moves by the largest cable company in America.

This greedy corporation continues to suck its customers’ money like an overstuffed leech while providing nothing for those same customers in return.

In the late 80s Heritage Cablevision of Iowa was purchased by TCI. In less than two years they announced plans to divide the cable system and charge extra for popular channels like ESPN and CNN.

This was just the first step by this king of the cable grifters.

Despite continuing rate hikes that go unchecked, TCI still has not expanded its range of channels.

While still locked at around 36 channels, TCI refuses to follow the lead of other companies, like Cox Cable in Eastern Iowa.

Its service in the Quad Cities and Dubuque is at or around 45 channels and continues to grow.

Even when customers call “their new cable operator” to get new channels like E!, ESPN2, Comedy Central, and the History Channel; company officials use the excuse of not enough space for these networks.

Fortunately they could find the space for the Sega Channel and worthless public access shows like “Big People News,” a show in which a 350 pound behemoth of a man pleads to the public to end oppression against fat people.

Ames is not alone in this either. Our cable system here has a show with some white-haired fruitcake hippie named Star who sits around with her cohorts and they talk about how wonderful it would be if we could all dress in flowery clothing, smoke pot under the Campanile, and listen to Joan Baez records all day long. Real quality programming there, TCI.

If you have cable in your house and more than one TV, you used to have to pay for each connection. TCI was sued in 1993 and was forced to allow infinite cable connections for one account.

If however, you live in a fraternity or sorority, you aren’t allowed to.

Despite the fact that these structures are not classified as apartments, TCI denies houses multiple connections.

Even if you want to pay for an extra connection, you can’t; they say it’s too much trouble to hook up an extra room.

Well, we wouldn’t want the folks at TCI to have to work too hard.

Now comes this decision to remove one of the most popular cable channels which shows two of the favorite baseball teams in Iowa.

They’re making room for Animal Planet and Cartoon Channel. I’m sure there was a lot of demand for these networks.

Despite all the children’s programming on cable (Nickelodeon, Sega Channel, and just about every other network at various times throughout the day), they decide to add two more stations geared toward the younger set.

Not all cable subscribers have children.

Some of those subscribers would like to see a football game on ESPN2 or watch Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the Comedy Channel.

Boy, I’d much rather watch Huckleberry Hound than Sammy Sosa hitting three homers in one day.

Even though TCI announced it would still show the Cubs and White Sox games, they will be shown on Channel 12, which isn’t even available her in Ames. Not good enough, TCI.

Luckily, we live in an age of superb technology. Digital satellite dishes and their services are cheaper than ever.

Services like Dish Network, Direct TV, and USSB only cost around $200 to start and $25-$35 per month afterward. Stay away from Primestar, since it’s owned by TCI as well.

I’m glad to see I’m not the only person angered by this.

Hundreds of calls have flooded the TCI office in Des Moines with people upset by the many programming changes.

The city council in Quincy, Illinois is debating changing the town’s cable service from TCI to another company.

You can bet there are even more angry fans there.

For those of you who are also sick of TCI and its self-serving attitude, I suggest you go out and buy a satellite dish or mini-dish. Before you leave though, first call TCI and tell them they have just lost another customer.

Maybe that will teach them a lesson in customer service.

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Rob Zeis is a senior in finance from Des Moines.