Time Warner Cable could drop Turner, HBO channels

[mvcg66b3r]

From HDOrlando on the AVS Forum:

Looking at this TWC notice, our MTM's could get a lot bigger soon.

http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/about-us/legal/regulatory-notices/pln/carolinas/charlotte.html

Turner Networks: TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, HLN, CNN, Tru TV, etc
Time Warner Networks: HBO and Cinemax

Interestingly Gol TV and Outdoor Channel which appeared to come off MTM's months ago are back on.

Two other networks Pivot and RFD-TV could be in play if new deals are reached.

While additions are minimal these days, these month to month agreements are going to be the thing to watch in particular the Turner Networks.

The Turner Networks will likely have a drop dead date like the other conglomerates. This will mean a deal will likely get done quicker and if they get pulled, it will not be that long of a standoff.

A new Turner agreement means........

- Access To Apps
- HD On Demand which is sorely lacking for these networks
- The possibility of Boomerang FINALLY being added
- The possibility of CNN International being added (We have this but others don't as some have Boomerang but we don't)

The benefits are nice.

As for HBO/Cinemax............

I am not sure if we have the APPs but a price reduction could be in order for HBO with their new online service but I doubt it.

Pivot and RFD-TV

If either of these get done, it puts them in play.

Although they did not pick up Revolt, NHK World or Africa Channel via The TWC agreements, Bright House grabs most everything else.

For the reason, Pivot which is an up and coming network, could be in play.

Gary told us that RFD-TV was considered more of a regional channel by BHN but he has hinted that anything can happen with RFD-TV.

I think both would be welcome additions to the BHN lineup.

So, while we wait for the remaining HD holdouts like Chiller, Teen Nick, etc. to go HD, these MTM deals have some decent stakes and in a good way.

This is why it pays to keep track of these notices.

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/45-lo...n/384294-orlando-fl-bhn-643.html#post33955554

And here's the programming notice referenced in that post:

May 6, 2015

Time Warner Cable’s agreements with programmers and broadcasters to carry their services and stations routinely expire from time to time. We are usually able to obtain renewals or extensions of such agreements, but in order to comply with applicable regulations, we must inform you when an agreement is about to expire. The following agreements are due to expire soon and we may be required to cease carriage of one or more of these services/stations in the near future: WGGS, Azteca America, Youtoo, Outdoor Channel (SD & HD), RFD HD, ReelzChannel (SD & HD), Gol TV (SD & HD), Pivot, Pivot On Demand, Boomerang, Boomerang Espanol, Cartoon Network (SD & HD), Cartoon Network Espanol, CNN (SD & HD), CNN Espanol, HLN (SD & HD), TBS (SD & HD), TCM (SD & HD), TNT (SD & HD), truTV (SD & HD), HBO (SD & HD), HBO West (SD & HD), HBO2 (SD & HD), HBO2 West, HBO Signature (SD & HD), HBO Signature West, HBO Family (SD & HD), HBO Family West, HBO Comedy (SD & HD), HBO Comedy West, HBO Zone (SD & HD), HBO Zone West, HBO Latino (SD & HD), HBO Latino West, HBO On Demand, Cinemax (SD & HD), Cinemax West (SD & HD), MoreMAX (SD & HD), MoreMAX West, ActionMAX (SD & HD), ActionMAX West, ThrillerMAX (SD & HD), ThrillerMAX West, OuterMAX (SD & HD), MaxLatino (SD & HD), 5StarMAX (SD & HD), MovieMAX (SD & HD), Cinemax On Demand, NBC Sports Network (SD & HD).

 

[TheBigA]

Hmmm...Time Warner OWNS the Turner Networks. I doubt very much the cable company will drop the co-owned cable channels.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

Hmmm...Time Warner OWNS the Turner Networks. I doubt very much the cable company will drop the co-owned cable channels.

Time Warner Cable and Time Warner Inc. are separate companies. They broke up sometime in the last decade.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

I never did understand all the nonsense of warning customers they are dropping channels / channels warning they are about to be dropped - both sides encouraging customers to intervene? My message to my provider" carry ALL the _____ channels and don't make excuses about it! If they cost you more, just raise my rate a few cents and shut up about it! I want channels - not excuses!

And ATT Uverse still hasn't added back Hallmark. Do I really have to subscribe to two or more providers just to get a complete channel set? ATT's response is that I can get all the porn I want. Really? A refined person who is a fan of Hallmark would stoop to something as disgusting as porn? I don't think so! I could post the name of the customer service agent and time of the call if anybody is interested. Personally - if I were ATT - I would fire that agent that gave me that response.

 

[TheBigA]

Get used to it. The days of one provider having everything are over. By the way, if you subscribe to a music service like Spotify, expect the same thing.

I was at a conference recently where one content company said "Grocery stores don't carry all the manufacturers of food. Retail stores don't carry all the manufacturers of clothing. There is no law that all products have to be available in one place." These companies are free to shop around for the best deal.

 

[LKellerIII]

Get used to it. The days of one provider having everything are over. By the way, if you subscribe to a music service like Spotify, expect the same thing.

I was at a conference recently where one content company said "Grocery stores don't carry all the manufacturers of food. Retail stores don't carry all the manufacturers of clothing. There is no law that all products have to be available in one place." These companies are free to shop around for the best deal.

Except that cable companies are generally exclusive to one city, town, or geographic area, though granted - these days we can switch to a satellite service. I switched from Comcast to DirecTV because of Comcast's ever-rising subscription price - up about 50% in a decade. Even now that all the sign-up incentives and specials have expired, I'm paying about $50 per month less.

 

[newsmark]

I never did understand all the nonsense of warning customers they are dropping channels / channels warning they are about to be dropped - both sides encouraging customers to intervene? My message to my provider" carry ALL the _____ channels and don't make excuses about it! If they cost you more, just raise my rate a few cents and shut up about it! I want channels - not excuses!

I used to think that as well. But the problem with that is not so much that the channel costs more. It's that each company wants to add more channels--and require the cable company to carry all the new ones if they want the old, popular ones.

So, if the cable company doesn't want to lose ESPN (at $6-$7 a pop), they also have to carry ESPN2, ESPNews, the Longhorn Network and another other channel Disney/ABC sees fit. They can add an unlimited number of channels, and force you to pay whatever they want.

Or they can hold the local station hostage: you can't carry this O&O unless you carry--and pay for-- a bunch of channels that don't get watched much.

Don't get me wrong: I make my living at a local TV station. But as a cable customer, I know I'm paying for a lot of stuff that I don't watch and there's no sign that's ever gonna change.

 

[ShawnHill1]

We have Boomerang on our TWC system here locally, but I hope if a new agreement is reached, it would include HD feeds of the other HBO/Cinemax networks (we only get the HD feeds of the East and West versions of the main HBO and Cinemax channels), as well as the access to the Turner networks' TV Everywhere apps. I know capacity issues could be an issue, but that's also the reason why they've implemented switched digital video, at least for the Los Angeles-based systems.

I know it'll eventually come a time when the cable/satellite providers will finally drop the standard-definition simulcasts, especially given that systems like Time Warner Cable are now (for the most past) only offering HD set-top boxes.

 

[TheBigA]

though granted - these days we can switch to a satellite service.

Or an online service. That's the future. Companies like Netflix and YouTube are originating their own content. Competing against HBO and A&E.

 

[Oscar Madison]

Cable companies think they have a monopoly, and can hold channels and viewers hostage. That's becoming less true every day. Channel providers are becoming better able to by-pass cable companies (or satellite companies) through Internet streaming and on-demand. The cable networks probably aren't willing to give up carriage fees just yet but they aren't dependent on cable companies any more either.

 

[newsmark]

Cable companies think they have a monopoly, and can hold channels and viewers hostage. That's becoming less true every day. Channel providers are becoming better able to by-pass cable companies (or satellite companies) through Internet streaming and on-demand. The cable networks probably aren't willing to give up carriage fees just yet but they aren't dependent on cable companies any more either.

Here's the difference: those channel providers get paid by every cable subscriber, whether that subscriber ever watches the channel or not.

It is not in the channel providers' interest to change the status quo. If you can get your content ala carte through streaming and/or on demand, they lose a LOT of money.

 

[drhull]

All this means is that the current agreement is close to expiring, or has been renewed on a month-to-month basis. This is extremely common as Time Warner Cable releases 2 of these notices each month. Almost every channel they carry has gone through this process.

An absolute non-issue of these channels remaining on Time Warner Cable systems.

 

[LKellerIII]

All this means is that the current agreement is close to expiring, or has been renewed on a month-to-month basis. This is extremely common as Time Warner Cable releases 2 of these notices each month. Almost every channel they carry has gone through this process.

An absolute non-issue of these channels remaining on Time Warner Cable systems.

Exactly. This happens all the time - it seems to be part of the negotiating process between the cable or satellite companies and the content providers. On the rare occasions it goes on long enough that the channels are actually dropped, it only lasts a few days until the parties reach agreement and the channels are back.