TWC may cancel CW18 carriage soon

[gparris]

There was a top runner overlay on the screen tonight as the family watched Vampire Diaries and Nikita on the CW18HD channel 1018, TWC.
It said that as of January 1st, 2011, TWC may cease carriage of this channel and other sources like ATT Uverse, CharterCable, Directv (carries it in HD) and antenna will be sources of receiving this channel - or something to that affect.
It could be their usual chain-rattling and that get tough thing all over again, but heck, its a broadcast channel and I don't want to put up an outside antenna to get OTA channels, not with me moving in 4-5 months, especially in winter.

Point is, we have had CW18 and CW18HD for some time and it is a channel my family and I watch even more than BBCAHD (last season of Smallville) and DirectvHD (does not get BBCAHD) may get my switch by then if it happens, moving or not (I want to move in spring, not winter).
There could be a mover's clause if I move and if I cannot find a signal for DirectvHD by then in the spring if I jump sooner at my place I live at currently and find a way, I will have to check it out before then.
(I assume this CW18 carriage extends to channel 24, also.)

[Xizer]

WVTV transmits at 850 kW. You could probably get an indoor antenna and receive it just fine.

Switching providers for a free broadcast channel is silly. :p

[jjallou]

Found this online.......
http://www.sbgi.net/template/time-warner/#17

Pretty much explains it from Sinclair's point of view, a private negotiation between two companies (and something that Congress allows). Cable would love to have the government intervene so we don't miss out on Jerry Springer. :rolleyes:

[Xizer]

I'm totally on TWC's side on this one.

They're a free broadcast channel; they don't really deserve to get money from cable providers too.

[Jack 1000]

Found this online.......
http://www.sbgi.net/template/time-warner/#17

Pretty much explains it from Sinclair's point of view, a private negotiation between two companies (and something that Congress allows). Cable would love to have the government intervene so we don't miss out on Jerry Springer. :rolleyes:

Note that the FAQ link is from Sinclair's point of view:

Jack

[ArgMeMatey]

I'm totally on TWC's side on this one.

They're a free broadcast channel; they don't really deserve to get money from cable providers too.

You should let the FCC and your elected reps know that they screwed up long ago when they explicitly said that OTA broadcasters were entitled to extract money from resellers.  

Historically, cable was a cooperative utility that extended a broadcast station's reach to additional customers, so there was really no money to be extracted.  For decades now, since the advent of satellite distribution of networks such as MTV, HBO, and Nick, it's been a profit center for cable operators.  

The Sinclair FAQ certainly expresses their point-of-view, but the bottom line is they have the right to a piece of TW's action.  If they have calculated that they can extract more by holding their ground and taking a reduced advertising rate for their reduced penetration, so be it.  

Time Warner would rather that they were required to pay Sinclair nothing, of course.  Sinclair mentions "less than a penny a day increase", so you can figure that they are seeking about $0.25 more per subscriber per month.  What we don't know is how much TW is paying them now, or in fact how much they are paying anyone else.  This is of course not public information.

I'm not taking a position on who's right and who's wrong.  I will say they are both losers for trying to present facts that favor their position without giving any specifics such as current rates paid or paid to other content providers.  

It's a commercial transaction, so the only thing that matters is the law, and the law is clear.  

The problem for consumers, as has been pointed out repeatedly, is that it's Time Warner this month, UVerse next month, Dish in the winter, and then DirecTV in the spring.  We have competition at the service provider level but the content providers still have exclusive content.  This fact, and the law, give content providers significantly more leverage over the service providers.  The only thing holding Sinclair in check is the effect this could eventually have on their ad rates.  

If you want to be virtually sure to get various types of content, you will need to subscribe to more than one service, have a terrestrial antenna, and maybe your own C-Band dish.  

If negotiations continue to proceed in this manner and with this frequency, legislative solutions will be undertaken.  Ultimately voters and courts will decide whether that's acceptable.  Of course that's assuming increased broadband capability does not make the current model obsolete.  Since the same people are running both shows, that seems unlikely.

[Jack 1000]

The problem for consumers, as has been pointed out repeatedly, is that it's Time Warner this month, UVerse next month, Dish in the winter, and then DirecTV in the spring. We have competition at the service provider level but the content providers still have exclusive content.

Exactly,

Reach an agreement, and it seems like every six months, another provider hits the same "We may have a problem reaching a retransmission contract" notes, while customers are held hostage during negotiations.  It just doesn't seem like the right way to do business.  And I don't see any clear cut solutions to these issues.

Jack

[gparris]

WVTV transmits at 850 kW. You could probably get an indoor antenna and receive it just fine.

Switching providers for a free broadcast channel is silly. :p

Maybe, but it is more difficult to get signal from where I live with hills around me (once again) and I record (DVR) shows for watching later.

Buying a DVR just to do OTA for one channel is silly, also.:blush:

[mrschimpf]

According to AT&T's monthly notice in the legal section of USA Today, WTMJ here and WGBA/WACY in Green Bay are up for new retransmission negotiations which have to be done by December 31st. Probably going to be a little less noticeable until near Christmas due to the small install base, but at least they have time to re-up hopefully.

[gparris]

Any change in the TWC and Sinclair negotiations?
We TWC subs are about to lose channels 18, 24 and 1018 and 1024 (HD) in about 11 days...

[Xizer]

No you're not. They're free channels. You can get them over the air.

Just because you have cable doesn't mean you can't pick up over the air broadcast channels as well.

[Jack 1000]

Any change in the TWC and Sinclair negotiations?
We TWC subs are about to lose channels 18, 24 and 1018 and 1024 (HD) in about 11 days...

They will probably reach an agreement at the 11th hour on December 31st.

Jack

[Xizer]

We can only hope not.

[gparris]

Your opinion, Xizer, but some of us like to DVR our shows and OTA just doesn't cut it.
- I am not buying new equipment to record OTA, even IF I can get a decent HD OTA signal where I am, no way.:rolleyes:

[gparris]

They will probably reach an agreement at the 11th hour on December 31st.

Jack

That's more like it, thank you!:)