PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

FACT: It is unlawful for Time Warner Cable to broadcast our signals without a contract.

Under Federal law, Time Warner Cable cannot carry our signals without a contract. If we do not reach an agreement by October 2, 2008, Time Warner will no longer have the legal rights to carry WIVB-TV News 4 Buffalo and WNLO CW 23 on its cable system and will deprive viewers of popular sports programming, including Buffalo Bills NFL Football games, the AFC Divisional playoff games on January 10, and January 11, 2009, as well as the AFC Championship game on January 18, 2009, and entertainment programming including The Price is Right, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Programming you will miss
after October 2nd
WIVB-TV & WNLO-TV

NFL Football
Bills vs Arizona 10/5
Bills vs San Diego 10/19
Bills vs Miami 10/26
Bills vs NY Jets 11/2
Bills vs Kansas City 11/9
Bills vs San Fransico 11/23
Bills vs Miami 12/7
Bills vs NY Jets 12/14
Bills vs Denver 12/21
January Playoffs

FACT: We have reached agreements with every major cable company, except for Time Warner Cable

LIN TV has reached carriage agreements with every major cable, telecommunications, and satellite operator that carries our stations, including providers in Buffalo such as Verizon, Comcast, DirecTV and DISH Network. We know from those agreements that what we are asking for is very reasonable.

http://www.wivb.com/global/story.asp?s=8908650

[SABURZFAN]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

WHAT WILL WE DO WITHOUT OPRAH???????????

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

Guys it isn't going to happen

[DMBcrew36]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

Guys it isn't going to happen

Yeah, sit tight, they'll have a deal done before THIS Sunday. I think a lot of people will drop TW and go to DishNet/Direct TV if they don't.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

Is this the right forum??

[trapezeus]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

i don't even live in Buffalo anymore, but still have to use TW for my cable operator.

in 2006, i wrote a letter to my congressperson to complain about the monopoly that TW holds over cable. it's ridiculous. they raise the rates without providing any new service at a rate higher than the inflation rate, provide less service for higher cost, don't take on the NFL network, they have the worst customer service (if you have an issue with your cable, you have just signed over at least 30 minutes of your life on the phone to get through the automated "for your convenience" telephone system to talk to someone, and those people very often can't help and redirect you back into the matrix of their phone system).

And in the city there is very little choice. You can't get direcTV because of buildings in the way and not having the right direction. Comcast or RCN is a complete joke.

My congressperson wrote me back with a generic form letter, but then cc'd me on a letter sent to the head of a subcommittee who is looking at this directly, and best of all, someone called me from TW and provided me their direct number in the event i have issues so i don't have to call the useless 800 number.

My other quick rant on TW, is that they will stick it to the people and not sign the deal and then complain that the network is asking too much and the only way they could justify it is if they raise rates. They will not do this without losing games.

[Voltron]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

I will prefice this rant with this statement:
I used to work for Adelphia and my father worked at the Utica NY Adelphia/Harron offices for 39 years (he got out before TW took over).


Direct TV and Dish Net have an unfair advantage over cable companies and that is one of the main reasons why you get less and pay more for cable. Look at a Dish or Direct TV bill and check out the taxes on it. Then look at a cable bill and look at the taxes on that. You will notice about 4 to 5 more lines of taxes on your cable bill, from the City/Town, State, Fed, and sometimes even the county! The cable companies also have to answer to a State Cable commission (at least in NY state) as well as the FCC, FTC, and OSHA, just to name a few.

The Towns or Cities are the ones you need to ***** to! They are the ones who CHARGE a cable company to have the franchise. They are the ones who allow the Monopoly to continue!

I am in the same perdiciment where I live in an apartment complex and I don't face the proper direction so I can't get Sat TV, BUT I don't blame the cable company for the Sat TV companies lack of access to their product. This has been a problem since the early days of the Old School Sat TV where you had to have a 6' dia dish that could turn 360 deg. in your back yard. They continue to ignore a HUGE revenue stream and that is no ones fault but the Sat TV companies.

If you want to talk about monopolies lets talk about the fact that since I have no access to direct TV I also get no Access to the Sunday Ticket. That is truly a monopoly that stifles competition.

[TEtoLeeTD]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

Yeah, sit tight, they'll have a deal done before THIS Sunday. I think a lot of people will drop TW and go to DishNet/Direct TV if they don't.

dude this deal better get done. here on campus all we have is TW cable!

id have to go home every weekend to watch the games on directv, which would suck because i dont want to drive home every weekend!!!:drama:

[Dr. Pepper]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

this town would go ballistic if the Bills arent on. A deal will get done don't worry.

[TEtoLeeTD]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

they have one day to get it done... are they even close?

[DMBcrew36]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

dude this deal better get done. here on campus all we have is TW cable!

id have to go home every weekend to watch the games on directv, which would suck because i dont want to drive home every weekend!!!:drama:

Go to a bar.

It's what I'm going to have to do.

[trapezeus]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

I will prefice this rant with this statement:
I used to work for Adelphia and my father worked at the Utica NY Adelphia/Harron offices for 39 years (he got out before TW took over).


Direct TV and Dish Net have an unfair advantage over cable companies and that is one of the main reasons why you get less and pay more for cable. Look at a Dish or Direct TV bill and check out the taxes on it. Then look at a cable bill and look at the taxes on that. You will notice about 4 to 5 more lines of taxes on your cable bill, from the City/Town, State, Fed, and sometimes even the county! The cable companies also have to answer to a State Cable commission (at least in NY state) as well as the FCC, FTC, and OSHA, just to name a few.

The Towns or Cities are the ones you need to ***** to! They are the ones who CHARGE a cable company to have the franchise. They are the ones who allow the Monopoly to continue!

I am in the same perdiciment where I live in an apartment complex and I don't face the proper direction so I can't get Sat TV, BUT I don't blame the cable company for the Sat TV companies lack of access to their product. This has been a problem since the early days of the Old School Sat TV where you had to have a 6' dia dish that could turn 360 deg. in your back yard. They continue to ignore a HUGE revenue stream and that is no ones fault but the Sat TV companies.

If you want to talk about monopolies lets talk about the fact that since I have no access to direct TV I also get no Access to the Sunday Ticket. That is truly a monopoly that stifles competition.

Thanks for this response. I think we're arguing about the same thing in different voices. i've never seen the sat tv bill vs a cable bill, so i am not aware of the tax issue.

I'm not saying cable is responsible for Satellite's woes. To be sure, the fact SAT TV can't get service in heavy rain and need to be pointing in a certain direction is their fault and it's maddening. They could boost their coverage if they figured that out.

Even further, i agree with you on the nonsense that DirecTV gets the NFL package is even more maddening. There are really good articles on why DirecTV pays so much as it is a Rupert Murdoch owned company. I'm not even bringing his politics into it. It's just simply that he makes more money if he keeps it off cable to the benefit of local fox channels. i forget the exact details. further more the article (it's an old TMQ article) says that its potentially breaking the antitrust exemption the NFL gets.

As for cable, regardless of their tax situation, they seemingly get into hardball negotiations because they have the size. Is the local CBS affliate really not going to sign on with TW and risk their ad revenue with no one watching one of its most key programming (Bills games, OPrah, and whatever else it listed?)

[TEtoLeeTD]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

Go to a bar.

It's what I'm going to have to do.

it would be much easier to watch it in my room!!! :drama:

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

I would imagine if TW didn't carry channel 4 in Buffalo they would have the biggest drop in subscribers in history.

[TEtoLeeTD]

Re: PLEASE READ: TWC might drop WIVB,CBS signal if deal is not negotiated Oct 2nd

I would imagine if TW didn't carry channel 4 in Buffalo they would have the biggest drop in subscribers in history.

ok so i have a question...

is TW just going to get rid of the buffalo station?

what about the syracuse station that shows bills games?