My guess is that Cablevision failed to properly gauge demand for free movies and the system was simply overwhelmed. Or maybe they had second thoughts about their generosity as negotiations with ABC moved toward a resolution. Frankly, I really didn't know what happened. And that's what ticked me off. Over and over again, I phoned Cablevision's toll-free and local customer service numbers, and all I got was a busy signal. No one ever picked up the phone. There was no automated message, no explanation on the company's Web site.  

So I followed up with an e-mail: 

" I appreciated Cablevision's offer of free daylong on-demand IO movies in light of the dispute with ABC, but after the first movie it was impossible to select any others (the on-screen message read 'unable to play this video, please try again'). I have repeatedly tried to access the movies without success and no one responds to customer service phone calls. You should not have offered this free benefit if you were unable to deliver the product. I am disappointed."

I received the requisite automated reply to my complaint, in which Cablevision promised to provide me with a real response in three business days. According to my calendar, its now been five days, and I'm still waiting for an answer. 

I don't think I'm being cheap or picky. After all, I wasn't the one promising free on-demand movies. I just took up Cablevision on its offer, and it's up to the company to make good on its pledge -- or at least explain what went wrong and why their customer service was so bad.