CBS, Time Warner Cable Reach Agreement, End Blackout

[Joey1986]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/09/02/cbs-time-warner-cable-agreement/2755953/

 

[willdav713]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/09/02/cbs-time-warner-cable-agreement/2755953/

Looks like Time Warner partially caved in. So much for sticking to their guns. I guess that means the cost of cable will go up, heaven forbid we go without the sports channels.

CBS should have launched a PPV sports channel instead. Let somebody else pay for the greedy bssssssssssss of CBSSSSSSSSSSS.

 

[Casey]

Ultimately the customers are to blame for this. Time Warner lost a lot more customers than they thought they would. They likely would have held out had people not jumped ship because they couldn't watch their CBS. So many of those people could have just watched their shows over-the-air or using Amazon, Aereo, etc., but they refuse to be even slightly inconvenienced.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Over the air is not an easy solution for some. I would need an antenna upgrade. Probably an expensive one. I don't know how my trees would affect antenna placement. And any outdoor antenna would need to be installed by a professional because i certainly couldn't do it.

That's for those who can. Some people live where over-the-air reception just isn't possible. For me this is true of a station with lots of movies I like. We were warned this station would no longer be available in my area after the digital conversion, but it's on cable. If Fox ever gets into a dispute like this, then I lose it. I know the Fox affiliate, recently purchased by the network along with that station with all the movies, could be picked up with the antenna I have shortly after the conversion. I got a great signal when it was a nightlight station, using the same antenna. But that's analog. I recently tried it, and nothing. Maybe conditions were ideal when I tried it before, but that's the nature of digital. Conditions must be perfect.

 

[Casey]

You could still watch your shows on Amazon though. I think Time Warner was even giving people gift cards to Amazon so they could still watch their favorite show. That right there tells me they were pretty serious about this dispute if they were willing to give giftcards to a competing product.

 

[landtuna]

Ultimately the customers are to blame for this. Time Warner lost a lot more customers than they thought they would. They likely would have held out had people not jumped ship because they couldn't watch their CBS. So many of those people could have just watched their shows over-the-air or using Amazon, Aereo, etc., but they refuse to be even slightly inconvenienced.

I don't see how you can assign blame to TW's customers on this. It was not they who turned off CBS carriage nor do they have a direct say in negotiations - with the single exception to discontinue service, which it appears some of them did. Put in that position I would have probably done the same thing.

I can understand why CBS expects to get a piece of the action from the cable companies but I can also see the hypocrisy of charging for a service you voluntarily provide to the OTA public for free.

In any event, the action taken by TW is a huge reason I don't subscribe to cable any longer. I pay for a specific range of products and I don't expect to pay if those products are not provided. This type of thing seems to be a new type of bullying where the end customer gets caught in the middle and without recourse. I won't put up with it and will get my programming from other sources wherever and whenever necessary.

 

[JeeperOne]

Over the air is not an easy solution for some. I would need an antenna upgrade. Probably an expensive one. I don't know how my trees would affect antenna placement. And any outdoor antenna would need to be installed by a professional because i certainly couldn't do it.

And none of the networks like the idea (Understandably so for many reasons, most of them legal & having to do with copyright) don't like the idea of kissing up to people like Aereo, FilmOn, etc. right now either

Cheers & 73

 

[JeeperOne]

In any event, the action taken by TW is a huge reason I don't subscribe to cable any longer. I pay for a specific range of products and I don't expect to pay if those products are not provided. This type of thing seems to be a new type of bullying where the end customer gets caught in the middle and without recourse. I won't put up with it and will get my programming from other sources wherever and whenever necessary.

Which is exactly what a lot of those now former customers likely did.....

Cheers & 73