• The Associated Press, Tuesday, December 9, 2008 9:15 AM

Comcast continues to see the effects of the slowing economy on its business, especially in add-on services such as pay-per-view. It says more customers are calling to ask for relief from their monthly cable bills.

The nation's largest cable operator plans to appeal to these cost-conscious customers with a slew of lower-priced plans, says Dave Watson, Comcast executive. The company just introduced an economy video tier that costs less than $30 a month with 50 TV channels plus music channels. Comcast also offers a cheaper Internet plan at DSL speeds.

In addition, Comcast is introducing bundled packages that include high-def TV at a promotional price of $115 to $180 a month for a year. Next year, the operator will expand its TiVo service beyond New England into other markets and offer new wireless programs. But if households are struggling as much as expected, the low-ball $30-a-month cable service will likely to be the big-seller.

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