ABC goes dark for New York Cablevision subscribers

[UpInArms]

Source: Washington Post

Just after the stroke of midnight Sunday, 3 million Cablevision viewers in the New York area saw their televisions turn into pumpkins.

At least that was the case for those subscribers' ABC channel, which went dark because of an impasse by the cable operator and broadcaster to resolve a feud over transmission fees.

<snip>

The negotiation breakdown was the latest in a series of similar standoffs between broadcasters and paid television providers such as Time Warner Cable's dispute with Fox last year. The Federal Communications Commission has largely stayed on the sidelines of such negotiations. But some lawmakers and consumer groups have urged greater involvement by the agency to prevent viewers from missing out on programming.

"If negotiations break down to the point of intractability, the FCC should step in and faciliate fair arbitration," said Ben Scott, policy director of public interest group Free Press. "These kinds of disputes between cable and broadcasters should not result in consumers losing access to local programming."

Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/03/just_after_the_stroke_of.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. Damn - You mean no Sunday morning Disney-Corporate kissass republicon propaganda

Guess I'll have to do something worthwhile. As usual.

[hobbit709]

2. I guess there are no ABC broadcasts in NY.

[Danmel]

3. There are alternatives

In NYC Time Warner, In the
city and most burbs Verizon Fios, Direct TV and
Dish Network and there is always an antenna & digital converter box . I have Direct TV.

[Jkid]

9. You forgot getting ABC New York if you use OTA broadcast attennas.

If you can receive a decent digital signal.

[karynnj]

15. True, but none of those is easy or can be done before tonight for people wanting to watch the Oscar

There are many areas of NJ where an antenna and digital converter box is not a good option, because the reception is poor.

[connecticut yankee]

4. Fortunately, in Fairfield County,

we can receive WTNH-TV in New Haven -- Channel 8.

It's possible than many NYC area viewers might be able to receive it, too.

I don't doubt that service will be restored in time for the Oscar broadcast, though. ABC gets a lot of revenue from that show.

[Missy Vixen]

14. We went through this last year during the Oscars

DISH Network did not have service restored for the Oscars. We ended up at our friend's house for the telecast. We didn't get ABC back (IIRC) till last July.

I agree with the cable company. The FCC needs to step in and mediate. Public, taxpayer-supported airwaves are "free".

IMHO.

[onlyadream]

5. This really sucks.

I am one to be affected by this and am very unhappy with ABC. I'm not a big fan of Cablevision, but in this case, I think ABC is wrong. ABC insists that Cablevision does not pay them, but they do (to the parent company $200million). In the negotiations, Cablevision has offered ABC what the other major networks get (including the top rated one), and ABC balked.

ABC is using us viewers as pawns, urging us to leave Cablevision (BTW - I don't get fios and I live across from a windy farm so a dish would be horrible). I have no choice. I guess I will have to get a cable box, it this keeps up.

I also want ABC to know that this money will come from the viewers pockets, so they are only hurting us.
:mad: I'm mad as hell...

[skepticscott]

6. It would suck a lot more

if there were actually anything worth watching on ABC.

[onlyadream]

13. I just started watching TV again

after years of watching next to nothing (small kids and no dvr) and now I'm addicted to several shows on that network (Lost, Modern Family,...).
At least I could watch these on the internet AND there's bigger problems in the world. I just don't like to be used as a pawn (not to mention, I know my rates will go up b/c of this little war).

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Sooner or later, people are going to wake up

to the implications of this.

[Supersedeas]

38. which ones?

[Downwinder]

8. I should cry as MSM bites the dust? n/t

[deadmessengers]

10. Let the corporate media eat each other.

Fuck'em. The only thing worth watching on ABC any more is Modern Family, anyway.

[Codeine]

11. Does anyone even watch network tv?

I haven't watched any in years, maybe a decade or more. :shrug: Much cooler stuff higher up the dial.

[Earth_First]

12. Yes, noncable subscribers such as myself...

I utilize network broadcast for local news and PBS.

There are still a couple thousand of us without cable I suppose...

[Tunkamerica]

19. i don't have cable either

solidarity

[truth2power]

30. I don't have cable, and I don't intend to get it, either. I see no reason...

I watch very little TV anyway. A few series and PBS.

I'm not going to pay those thieves for either cable or TIVO. Pffft!

It's enough of a financial sacrifice for me to keep my internet service. :(

[dysfunctional press]

21. lots of people, and qutie a bit.

even if it's not "cool" to enjoy csi, the oscars, nova, frontline, the amazing race, the office, and family guy, to name a few...i still enjoy them.

[Codeine]

24. I didn't really think of PBS as network.

And Family Guy is actually a little better on Cartoon Network. I quite enjoy a lot of network shows (I'm a House and Criminal Minds junkie) but I mostly watch them in reruns on other channels. I think my question seemed snarkier than it should have -- I honestly didn't think anybody really watched that stuff anymore, except Idol and sporting events.

[dysfunctional press]

27. "I honestly didn't think anybody really watched that stuff anymore, except Idol and sporting events.

then you are extremely uninformed- the major networks are still the most watched channels on television. just check the ratings.

btw- you do know that when you watch reruns of networlk shows on other channels- for instance-c.s.i. on 'spiketv', they are 5-10% shorter, due to editing to add commercials, right?

[Codeine]

28. LOL! I'm uninformed about a lot of things, I'm sure.

:dunce: Just one of those assumptions I never thought much about.

As to the editing, House seems to hold up fine, as does Criminal Minds. I guess I don't miss what I never see. I've never watched CSI other than the endless clips of the sunglasses/yyyeah! moments that folks edit together on YouTube.

And Family Guy (evidently DU's most hated show but my favorite, and clearly one of yours) often has tiny bits that Fox cuts from the main showing that Cartoon Network is ok with showing.

[truth2power]

31. :I was thinking of what I watch regularly...

Let's see...Desperate Housewives (I know, I know) :evilgrin: , Brothers & Sisters, the Office, Numbers, The Good Wife. That's it, in addition to PBS: Moyers, NOW, NOVA, Frontline.

[Frank Cannon]

32. I haven't had cable television in 20 years.

And I've never missed it.

[Kievan Rus]

16. Cablevision sucks...they really hurt the prospects for having the Olympics in New York

[onenote]

17. interesting. can you elaborate?

[karynnj]

18. Senator Kerry has asked them to continue the signal

Kerry, who chairs the communications sub-committee of the Commerce committee said:

“Early this morning and just ahead of the Oscars, ABC pulled its channel from Cablevision customers because the two companies cannot agree on the value of the signal. It’s neither my place nor my goal to pick sides in this dispute, my concern as Chairman of the Communications Subcommittee is that this morning three million households, including many who will not know where to get a digital receiver today or how to install it, will find that a service they pay for monthly is not delivering what was promised.

What bothers me is that these consumers are collateral damage in a fight between two companies. I strongly urge these two companies to sit down and find a way for the signal to be restored today and negotiate in good faith. If a true impasse is reached, then I urge the parties to seek the assistance of the FCC to resolve it or enter into arbitration.

When pulling a signal becomes the nuclear option in negotiation, it inflicts collateral damage on consumers who pay their bills and have done nothing wrong. Someone needs to be speaking up for them in this dispute and those like them, and make no mistake, this is the latest example of consumers getting caught in the middle because the high stakes incentives created in these negotiations are not working for the average customer who just expects their programming to be there when they want it.”

A Cable association official said:

"Disney's decision early Sunday to pull its ABC signal from 3 million Cablevision System Corp. cable customers in the New York City area underscores the American Cable Association's long-standing policy position that the federal retransmission consent regime is a badly broken system that permits signal pulling and flagrant price discrimination against smaller cable companies that consumers should not be forced to tolerate. ACA urges the Federal Communications Commission to heed the calls of members of Congress and take every action now to restore the ABC signal while the parties continue to engage in good faith negotiations, and then to focus on addressing the underlying problems with the broadcast carriage rules and regulations in order to avoid these problems from happening in the future."

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/john-kerry-abc-cablevision-fight-consumers-are-collateral-damage-14994

[LLStarks]

20. Not to defend Cablevision, but Disney/ABC wants 40 million for a free channel.

I live on Long Island and I know that the Dolans are scumbags, but this isn't their fault for once.

[onlyadream]

22. And they already pay 200 million to ABC's parent company.

I'm on LI too - Brookhaven... where're you?

[LLStarks]

25. Roslyn and Hempstead. nt

[bhikkhu]

23. This is news?

Maybe at some point it impacts jobs or something, but 2.6 billion people in the world are living without toilets. 1 billion don't have clean water to drink, some number larger than that went to bed hungry last night, and so on... A brief interruption of US cable television service hardly seems noteworthy.

[totodeinhere]

37. +1

[dem mba]

26. all the networks are getting what they can now, while they still can

they know their business model is ultimately broken and is going the way of the newspaper and music labels soon enough.

we'll ALL be able to download HD quality shows in seconds. maybe 5 years. maybe more. how will the cable affiliate business model survive that? easy, it won't. we'll always have TV, don't get me wrong, I'm just saying the current model will have to adapt.

[valerief]

29. People watch ABC? Why? nt

[KoKo]

33. MEDIA MONOPOLIES? ANTI-TRUST ACTION? OOPS forgot we have a DEMOCRAT in POWER!

For sure OBAMA is going to fix this! RIGHT AWAY...AS SOON AS HE HEARS FROM THE SUBSCRIBERS!

OBAMA IS ON THIS! RIGHT???

[onenote]

35. exactly what sort of anti-trust violation do you think is involved in this dispute?

[alp227]

34. Globe & Mail: Cablevision restored WABC at 8:50PM ET

Cablevision says WABC-TV's signal has been switched back on for its 3.1 million subscribers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut shortly after the Academy Awards telecast got under way.

Cablevision spokesman Whit Clay says Channel 7's signal was turned on at about 8:50 p.m. Sunday. The awards show began at 8:30 p.m.

Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/television-back-on-for-31-million-new-yorkers/article1492939/

[totodeinhere]

36. Good. Maybe some of those couch potatoes can actually do something constructive for a change...

instead of plopping themselves in font of the TV set all day. Actually, I'd like to see more blackouts. I get by just fine not watching any TV at all thank you very much.