Sinclair Announces Analog and Digital Carraige Agreement with Time Warner

[Jimboy]

BALTIMORE (January 22, 2007) - Sinclair Broadcast Group,  Inc.  (Nasdaq:
SBGI) is pleased to announce that  it  has  entered  into  a  retransmission
consent  agreement  with  Time  Warner  Cable,  the  largest  cable   system
servicing Sinclair's markets.  The agreement,  which  expires  December  31,
2009, allows Time Warner to carry the  analog  and  digital  signals  of  35
television stations owned and/or operated  by  Sinclair  in  22  markets  to
approximately six  million  of  Time  Warner's  subscribers,  many  of  whom
receive two stations owned and/or operated by Sinclair.

    "Sinclair is very pleased to  have  reached  this  agreement  with  Time
Warner, which carries our stations to more subscribers than any other  cable
company," commented David Smith, CEO and President  of  Sinclair.   "We  are
excited that this agreement not only ensures retransmission of  our  signals
by Time Warner for the next three years, but also provides for the  carriage
of our digital  signals  for  the  first  time  to  most  of  Time  Warner's
subscribers.   This  agreement,  which  represents  a  mutually   acceptable
economic agreement between the parties, is further indication of  the  value
of our  television  stations  to  cable  companies  and  provides  a  strong
illustration of the successful operation of the free market for  negotiation
of retransmission consent agreements. "

    Today's agreement includes the following stations and markets:

Birmingham, AL:  WABM/WTTO
Buffalo, NY:  WNYO/ WUTV
Cape Girardeau, MO/Paducah, KY:  WDKA/KBSI
Charleston, SC:  WMMP/WTAT
Charleston, WV:  WCHS/WVAH
Cincinnati, OH:  WSTR
Columbus, OH:  WSYX/WTTE
Dayton, OH:  WKEF/WRGT
Greensboro/High Point/Winston Salem, NC:  WMYV/WXLV
Lexington, KY:  WDKY
Norfolk, VA:  WTVZ
Milwaukee, WI:  WCGV/WVTV
Pensacola, FL/Mobile, AL:  WEAR
Pittsburgh. PA:  WPGH/WPMY
Portland, ME:  WGME
Raleigh, NC:  WLFL/WRDC
Rochester, NY:  WUHF
San Antonio, TX:  KABB/KMYS
Springfield. MA:  WGGB
Syracuse, NY:  WNYS/WSYT
Tallahassee, FL:  WTWC
Tampa, FL:  WTTA

      The agreement also provides for the carriage of Sinclair's MyNetwork
TV affiliates in Columbus, Ohio and Dayton, Ohio, both of which are
transmitted as digital multicast stations.

    Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., one of the largest and most  diversified
television broadcasting companies, currently owns and operates, programs  or
provides  sales  services  to  58  television  stations   in   36   markets.
Sinclair's  television  group  reaches  approximately  22%   of   the   U.S.
television households and is affiliated with all the major networks.


http://www.sbgi.net/press/release_2007122_201.shtml

[kevbeck122]

It's about time.. now how long til TWC gets them on?

[Jimboy]

It's about time.. now how long til TWC gets them on?

From what I've been reading (AVSForum) they've been popping up all over. I guess you'll have to call them cause honestly I don't know.

[gparris]

From what I've been reading (AVSForum) they've been popping up all over. I guess you'll have to call them cause honestly I don't know.

Some per AVS, they were clueless (like the TWC Ohio), while others actually had the HD channel up
 (I think it was ABC HD in North Carolina).

There just has to be TWO things that have to happen for any channel to occur:
1) Bandwidth availablity for the HD channel.
(We lost INHD2 - bandwidth is available for something HD).

2) Desire of the local TWC bosses to add the channel(s).

In case of our local TWC system, it could be both.
My bet is a lack of caring of the needs of the increasing HDTV owners/buyers.

This would appear to be the case for local and national channels, as with no CinemaxHD/StarzHD and those A&EHD and MHD channels, so how these local HD appear, is anyone's guess, except those bosses.

[picopir8]

Thats not exactly true.

1) Bandwidth was available even before INHD2 went away.
2) If the deal is signed then the bosses will move as quickly as possible to get the channels that they are paying for to help improve the nubers in the books.

What you also forgot was.
3) Get a feed/programing info from the new stations
4) Test the new feeds
5) Patch all existing HD boxes so they can see the new channels.
6) Enable the channels on all HD boxes

No its not brain surgery but it is not as simple as pushing a button once the agreement has been signed.  I suspect that we will see something by spring.

[gparris]

Thats not exactly true.

1) Bandwidth was available even before INHD2 went away.
2) If the deal is signed then the bosses will move as quickly as possible to get the channels that they are paying for to help improve the nubers in the books.

What you also forgot was.
3) Get a feed/programing info from the new stations
4) Test the new feeds
5) Patch all existing HD boxes so they can see the new channels.
6) Enable the channels on all HD boxes

No its not brain surgery but it is not as simple as pushing a button once the agreement has been signed.  I suspect that we will see something by spring.

Thanks for the insight, but I really don't care what TWC's excuses are as my cable rates keep going up with no HD channel additions while other locations get them.

Geez, one would think you worked for TWC, God-forbid.

Subscribers don't need "excuses" or "explanations", they just want more HD channels and TWC-Wisconsin's track record sucks.:guitar:

[gb4fan92]

I suspect that we will see something by spring.

SPRING??
:bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:

[gb4fan92]

Subscribers don't need "excuses" or "explanations", they just want more HD channels and TWC-Wisconsin's track record sucks.:guitar:

I'll drink to that!! Glug2 Glug2 Glug2

[picopir8]

Thanks for the insight, but I really don't care what TWC's excuses are as my cable rates keep going up with no HD channel additions while other locations get them.

Geez, one would think you worked for TWC, God-forbid.

Subscribers don't need "excuses" or "explanations", they just want more HD channels and TWC-Wisconsin's track record sucks.:guitar:

Nope, I am a software engineer in a totally different industry.

I agree that the number of HD offerings TWC has added sucks but the alternatives suck wose (D* has fewer HD channels, Dishnetwork has more channels but no locals).  Plus the vast majority of people still only have SD TV.  Its not good business sense a company to go out of their way to please a small minority of customers.  While I too am displeased, I also do not blame them much.

As far as this particular topic is concerned Sinclair wanted a big chunk of money for them to provide their HD feed to TWC.  I personally would prefer for TWC to not pay to carry channels that we can get free with an antenna as doing so will certainly raise cable prices.  Besides, its not like 18/24 have had much compelling programing or programing that must be seen in HD.  I actually give TWC credit for holding out and not giving into their initial demands.

[gparris]

picopir8:
Now TWC can say it has ALL the HD local channels, if wants to do them, no restrictions...the object word being "wants".
Outside of this forum, I see very many HDTV sets in people's homes, some as small as 34" (sometimes smaller) and as big as 73" DLPs or further, projection setups screaming for HD.
The SBG-TWC settlement is excellent for many.

Point is (that you are missing here) is OUR MILWAUKEE TWC location is missing up to 6 (or more, if you include ESPN2HD) HD channels that other locations DO have.
Unless TWC Milwaukee is up to something it can't announce yet, we are behind most of the country's TWC-locations in HD channel additions, so we ask "why"?
I am certain that in some of those other locations the HDTVs/households is proportionally-similar.

More and more sets each day are selling that are HDTVs, so TWC should offer more to those whose options is only cable, such as those in condos, apartments and so on-including those who do not have any love of dish-type setups, of which there are many in my setups and installs.

[LoadStar]

So, yeah, bump and all. We're now in mid-April, and nothing yet. Does ANYONE know what the delay is here? (Jimboy? Hear any rumors about ANYTHING being done on this? Any truth to Tim's comment below?)

I emailed Time Warner to "request the channels" (as if this should be necessary). The rep's response: "I will forward the comments to our programming department. When the channels are ready to released, we'll alert the public. Until then, we appreciate your patience."

I see here in Tim Cuprisin's webchat that someone else is as frustrated as me... Tim's response seems to implicate BOTH Time Warner AND Sinclair:

Let me be blunt, Mark: high definition TV is not much of a force in the marketplace yet (and may never be). Nielsen doesn't even count the number of people watching it. And your "as soon as possible" is not the same as that of Sinclair, which owns Channels 18 and 24 and Time Warner, both of which are equal players here.

"May never be"? What the heck? That's like saying "Oh, this color TV thing might never catch on." *sigh*

[klwillis45]

"May never be"? What the heck? That's like saying "Oh, this color TV thing might never catch on." *sigh*

I don't see any chance of HDTV not becoming the standard but lets remember how many folks out there buy an HDTV and never feed it an HD signal. What a waste.

As for the Nielsens, that whole system needs to be scrapped or seriously overhauled.
Edit: Speak of the devil....from jsonline.com

FRIDAY, April 13, 2007, 12:20 p.m.

Nielsen glitch skews Brewers broadcasts
Nielsen Media Research, the folks who gather the TV ratings for advertisers and media, acknowledged this week that a problem in their system has skewed ratings for Fox Sports Net Wisconsin.

Fox Sports Net Wisconsin is the network of the Milwaukee Brewers. If the numbers prove to be wrong, it means the Brewers might have had ratings that were higher than first thought.

The story was first reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which can be found here. The Star Tribune story did not mention the Brewers connection, but reported that Nielsen admitted this week that the glitch began in April 2005, but was not discovered until this week.

According to the Star Tribune, 40% of the homes in the Twin Cities with Nielsen boxes were not measureing potential FSN North viewers.

A Fox Sports Net Wisconsin official confirmed this morning that the problem affects the Brewers broadcast as well. He said more information will be released later today.

[gparris]

I read about HDTV and HT and respond way too much to the HDTV and HT forums, but the consensus is that penetration is up to 28% of homes on average that actually HAVE HDTVs, be the smaller sets below 37" to the larger ones found in many homes today....hardly an experiment...for WHOM?

Milwaukee folks may be very careful with their spending, but that doesn't mean if they find value in a product like HDTV sets, they won't go out and buy one (or two).
These so-called "experts" better wake up the fact it is 2007 and the HDTVs exist in many more households than they think they do.
Getting the Sinclair HD stations, even it is was just CW18HD, for its primetime programming, is a good thing - for both the HDTV set owner and the station broadcasting it, now that it is available for TWC (to do it by TWC corporate agreement).

[Jimboy]

No new information at this time. Sorry.
When I have something to report...I will.

[gparris]

No new information at this time. Sorry.
When I have something to report...I will.

Thanks for your reply, I was going to say info, but you have none, not your fault.

I thought by now I would be watching "Smallville" and other programming from your station(s) in HD by now, as other locales TWC runs throughout the country that added SBG O&O stations, but no.

Seems HD channel additions are not important to TWC-Milwaukee management.
TWC HD subs lost INHD2 late December - CW18HD (channel 518) - could have been added then with the extra bandwidth sometime in late January or early February.
Instead, we get false advertising (18 HD channels! in the JS ad) and lies from the kiosk TWC CSRs...how insulting.:mad: