As the story goes, CableCARD support has deteriorated since the FCC inadvertently relaxed the requirement last year. Indeed, Tim Gibbons reached out this weekend regarding his inability to tune Fargo … and ignorance (at best) or deception (worst case) from Time Warner Cable’s first line phone support agent. What makes this especially ironic (or depressing) is Tim’s role in the cable television industry. If the producer of Curb Your Enthusiasm can’t keep his TiVo’s CableCARD going, what hope do the rest of us have?

Beyond public shaming, we currently have a rare and unique opportunity to influence the FCC as they evaluate Big Cable’s push to end CableCARD … without having identified a successor. But you better fire up those word processors post-haste as today, April 21st, is the deadline. Hit this FCC link, click Reply To Comments, and make sure you reference Proceeding Number 14-16. For comparative purposes, you can review previously submitted comments here.

Tim’s TWC transcription follows:

Me and the idiots at #TimeWarnerCable: Hi, I don't seem to be getting FX. TWC: What are you looking for? TG: FX. TWC: What show? TG: Fargo — Tim Gibbons (@Tim_Gibbons) April 16, 2014

TWC: that's on 60 and 106. TG: Yes, they both say: Cannot find signal. TWC: you are subscribed. TG: Yes, I know I pay for it. — Tim Gibbons (@Tim_Gibbons) April 16, 2014

TWC: How do you know this show is on tonight? TG: That has nothing to do with my problem: it's the 1000 billboards I've seen for it. — Tim Gibbons (@Tim_Gibbons) April 16, 2014

TWC: OK. So how do you get your shows? TG: Exactly my thought. TWC: Do you have our box? TG: No, TiVo. TWC: Oh, you use a cable card. TG: OK — Tim Gibbons (@Tim_Gibbons) April 16, 2014

TWC: well the card does not always get all channels. TG: Huh? TWC: You don't always get all the channels you pay for. TG: Why? — Tim Gibbons (@Tim_Gibbons) April 16, 2014

TWC: Because the cards don't receive all the channels, sometimes. TG: so you sell a defective product? TWC: No, they come that way. — Tim Gibbons (@Tim_Gibbons) April 16, 2014