Time Warner/TM4 carriage dispute

[gparris]

Maybe something's happening.  What does it say on your guide for channel 4?  Not HD 1004, which is gone from the guide, just SD channel 4?

Jack

I got GSN in the 4 spot.

Lately, as I drive home from Illinois on major non-freeway routes due to construction, I have seen an uptick in ATT UVerse trucks and lately, more Directv trucks, but no TWC trucks anywhere, maybe it's my imagination?
Could some folks be tired of TWC and changing their TV providers?:huh?:
It's been said that the next round of battles will be with other providers, I am guessing some subs don't think of that or just don't care, or maybe, they're thinking that their new provider will work faster to achieve some sort of success and get the channels back on sooner.

[Jack 1000]

I got GSN in the 4 spot.

Lately, as I drive home from Illinois on major non-freeway routes due to construction, I have seen an uptick in ATT UVerse trucks and lately, more Directv trucks, but no TWC trucks anywhere, maybe it's my imagination?
Could some folks be tired of TWC and changing their TV providers?:huh?:
It's been said that the next round of battles will be with other providers, I am guessing some subs don't think of that or just don't care, or maybe, they're thinking that their new provider will work faster to achieve some sort of success and get the channels back on sooner.

Yea,

And all's well and good until Direct TV, Dish Network or U-Verse has their next go-around with CBS or Journal-Broadcast Company over rates?  Will the irate subs of the competition go back to TWC if this happens?  

It's the broken and fragmented Cable Act of 1992 that needs updating, and the competition's investments in Internet and Mobile Technologies that are the biggest threats to retransmission disputes.  People seem to not understand that the battle with the next station owner and broadcaster could still result in blackouts.

Here is an excellent article on the history of TV and Retransmission Consent:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2013/08/cbs-time-warner-cable-and-the-disruption-of-tv.html

Jack

[cellar]

I'm not getting GSN where WTMJ-4 used to be, it's just a black screen.

Hi guys - was here a looooooooong time ago and have just been lurking.  The black screen resuts if you go to analog 4 or 4.1 without using a converter or DTA.  If you are using your TV quam, then you get the black channel.  They must be doing a map on that change, keeping 4 there.  But 4.2 and 4.3 quam are actually feeding starz.  Mike

[gparris]

Jack 1000, the point was TWC is taking its time negotiating, or maybe it's not negotiating at all! Other providers will have to deal with negotiations just like TWC supposedly is, but at faster rate, possibly keeping all channels on -no blackouts.
Witness Verizon Fios, which swiftly did a 3-year contract with CBS for the same type of contract, including on-demand - no problem for the Fios customers in the same cities TWC has been out of service, with even more subscribers than TWC!
I believe all other providers will get on the ball and get the job done quickly so those switching are NOT doing themselves a disservice at all.
IS really TWC caring about its subscribers? I believe it really doesn't care, not with the most recent contract CBS and Fios.:bang:

[Jack 1000]

Jack 1000, the point was TWC is taking its time negotiating, or maybe it's not negotiating at all! Other providers will have to deal with negotiations just like TWC supposedly is, but at faster rate, possibly keeping all channels on -no blackouts.
Witness Verizon Fios, which swiftly did a 3-year contract with CBS for the same type of contract, including on-demand - no problem for the Fios customers in the same cities TWC has been out of service, with even more subscribers than TWC!
I believe all other providers will get on the ball and get the job done quickly so those switching are NOT doing themselves a disservice at all.
IS really TWC caring about its subscribers? I believe it really doesn't care, not with the most recent contract CBS and Fios.:bang:

What I have read from some people when TWC has similar spats with other companies is that often TWC wants deals on top of deals.  Other providers may just pay what is asked, perhaps to keep a good rapport with the host company.  

Not sure with Journal Broadcasting, but I read that CBS wants about $2.00 more per month per sub, which is ridiculous!  Before the blackout, they paid TWC about 88 cents.  CBS feels because other channels like ESPN/Disney (which cable subs get as part of a package at Disney's insistence) get over $4.00 a month. (Disney ownes ESPN.)  I think there is ABC ownership in there too if I am not mistaken, CBS believes that 2.00 a month for CBS/Showrtime/Movie Channel/Flix/Smithsonian is not unreasonable.

TWC thinks that CBS should not get that much more money just because CBS claims it is so popular.  TWC will probably make concessions and negotiate a deal close to 95 cents to $.100 more per month.  They may agree to take CBS Sports off of Sports Pass and move it to Digital Variety for a more broad based distribution along with more Internet and mobile content when a deal is finalized.

But the sticking point is that CBS wants to have the right to charge more for it's on-line offerings.  TWC says, no.  That should remain available with a high speed Internet subscription.  CBS had a tantrum, and blocked ALL of its on-line content from TWC Internet s]subscribers, even those that don't have TWC as a cable TV provider!  Insiders say it is the Internet and streaming video content where they are now having the negotiating difficulty.  However, expect a deal before the start of the NFL season.  Both sides have too much revenue to not gain, and sponsors to lose, if a deal is not done by this time.  You also have the Tennis US Open Tournament, which is also going to be a very important part of the negotiations.  

Fortunately, although Showtime and its sister stations remain blacked out, our CBS is locally owned and is not effected by this dispute.  However, Journal Broadcasting is affected for similar reasons as the TWC/CBS debacle in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and some other markets.

For Channel 4 Journal Broadcasting, I think TWC wants it to be more than a news and weather station in order for Journal Broadcasting to get more money.  Local management I suspect can't offer more because of budgetary reasons and I think that is the reason for the impasse.  While ALL Journal Broadcast owned stations are being blacked out by TWC in all states, I don't know if the content of those other stations is the mostly news and weather programing that WTMJ has become.

Jack

[gparris]

Jack 1000,  
-TWC exists to make money for its investors, it tells its subscribers it's trying to hold down costs that gets passed on, but in reality, it's the investors, not the subscribers, TWC is concerned about. Its all BS, nothing more.

It's been a long time with these battles of Journal Broadcast Group and CBS with TWC, who is dragging it on and on and as its subscribers, we do not care, unless we, too are one of those investors, which most of us are probably not.

Putting the customer in the battle is annoying and aggravating, the subs just want to turn their sets on and watch the usual programming that they pay cable for, we could actually care less because in the end, the costs, due to investor demands, will go up anyway.

If other providers can work things out faster, so  be it. If Verizon FIOS was available in my area, I would have it by now, my family and friends in other states that have it, love it, they got the job done with CBS and TWC has not, plain and simple. But where I live all we have is TWC or satellite, no ATT or FIOS, so a monopoly exists.
TWC drags this on and on and the new fall shows are coming on, maybe that will push them, besides the falling subscriber numbers (maybe).

[Jack 1000]

Jack 1000,  
-TWC exists to make money for its investors, it tells its subscribers it's trying to hold down costs that gets passed on, but in reality, it's the investors, not the subscribers, TWC is concerned about. Its all BS, nothing more.

It's been a long time with these battles of Journal Broadcast Group and CBS with TWC, who is dragging it on and on and as its subscribers, we do not care, unless we, too are one of those investors, which most of us are probably not.

Putting the customer in the battle is annoying and aggravating, the subs just want to turn their sets on and watch the usual programming that they pay cable for, we could actually care less because in the end, the costs, due to investor demands, will go up anyway.

If other providers can work things out faster, so  be it. If Verizon FIOS was available in my area, I would have it by now, my family and friends in other states that have it, love it, they got the job done with CBS and TWC has not, plain and simple. But where I live all we have is TWC or satellite, no ATT or FIOS, so a monopoly exists.
TWC drags this on and on and the new fall shows are coming on, maybe that will push them, besides the falling subscriber numbers (maybe).

Good points,

Only critique is that if you had a TRUE Monopoly, you would have TWC and nothing else available.  You do have Satellite options, so that would not be a monopoly.  If you have a rented apartment or own a condo where TWC is an exclusive service for your unit or building, than you would have a monopoly.  I have been told so many landlords don't allow satellite.  Not sure about U-Verse in the apartment/condo situation.

I wonder how often stockholders look at the falling rates of the video service associated with TWC?  If the video services for cable. whether it be TWC, Charter, or Comcast continue to lose money on the video part of cable TV, investors will eventually take their business elsewhere.  I think if TWC had direct competition from another cable company in the same area, customer service relationships and services would be forced to improve.  Our cable service has been good across the board, but most people hate cable TV and I think investors may start to realize that sooner, rather than later.

Jack

[Bebop]

Free antenna for TW customer. It's probably cheaper for them to install antenna than to deal with local stations every few years.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/220668901.html

[Jack 1000]

Good articulate video from TWC going into more details of the CBS Blackout, which also relates to Journal Broadcasting's issues:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mogDW3bfwEs

Jack

[gparris]

Good video, there seems to be a lot going on in the backround that CBS isn't telling us.
The part about CBS wanting subs to register their sets and end DVR-ing in the future (or something to that effect) she mentioned in the negotiations with CBS was very disturbing.
Right now, all I am really aggravated about is that, here in the Racine area, we lost Chicago channel 5 (NBC altogether) due to Journal Broadcast Group arrogance. My old neighbors in Kenosha still get it as an alternative to rabbit ears. That stinks for me, I refuse to do antennas with MY cable bill. :bang:

[ArgMeMatey]

Free antenna for TW customer. It's probably cheaper for them to install antenna than to deal with local stations every few years.

It used to be that Dish or DirecTV, maybe both, had an input on their STBs for a local antenna so they could switch seamlessly between satellite and terrestrial.  No idea whether they still do.

Does TW offer any boxes with this provision?  If they did, for many subscribers, it would be effortless to use the local antenna input.  Of course then TW would be faced with customers wanting local channels unbundled.  But, if they wanted to stick it to JBG and the rest, it might be worth it.

[LoadStar]

It used to be that Dish or DirecTV, maybe both, had an input on their STBs for a local antenna so they could switch seamlessly between satellite and terrestrial.  No idea whether they still do.

Older TiVo's (TiVo S3 and TiVo HD, for example) do as well.

Does TW offer any boxes with this provision?  If they did, for many subscribers, it would be effortless to use the local antenna input.  Of course then TW would be faced with customers wanting local channels unbundled.  But, if they wanted to stick it to JBG and the rest, it might be worth it.

Don't think so, but I agree, they should.

[budda]

Dish still does have the inputs. Some times it is a extra cost when it is setup. On the VIP722K or the Hopper, it is a tuner that can be added. The rest of them it is part of the receiver. I like it because it adds as many as two OTA tuners to the DVR.

[Jack 1000]

Another article on the blackout, with optional audio commentary:

http://www.wuwm.com/post/time-warner-and-journal-broadcast-group-dispute-drags

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Is it known how much revenue WTMJ is losing every day by not being on TWC?

Jack