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Time Warner Cable Pulls WCBS-TV, Showtime, Off Line Up

G

Gregg

At 6pm Friday, they replaced Channel 2 and the Showtime line up (Channels 221 - 228) with a blue screen explaining that they are in talks with CBS. They still list the Showtime movies in the program guide. (The main channel was in the middle of Oscar winner Shakespeare in Love.) But on the program guide, Channel 2 is simply listed as Preview.

Oddly, Channel 55 WLNY (seen on Channel 85) is still on the program guide and being seen. They are also owned by CBS.

You may have read elsewhere that CBS and Time Warner Cable are in a battle over how much CBS wants to charge TWC for carrying its channels.
 
I am sick and tired of hearing the commercials where each side is blaming the other for this problem. Sadly the viewers who are caught in the middle are the losers. TV viewing is generally lighter in the summer, but the first major event on CBS TV is the PGA Championship which begins Saturday August 10.

Bruce
 
Gregg said:
Oddly, Channel 55 WLNY (seen on Channel 85) is still on the program guide and being seen. They are also owned by CBS.
Click to expand...

Apparently, WLNY was part of a different contract that pre-dated CBS ownership, which is still in effect.

On a side note, I find that the blocking of Showtime and Smithsonian are asinine, as we pay extra for these channels. Showtime subscribers (at least where I live) pay about $20 a month for the Showtime package, while Smithsonian is part of an HD pack that costs $6 a month. As subscribers are paying CBS for these channels through their cable operator, why should these channels be affected?
 
Could CBS temporarily simulcast network programs on WLNY-55 and thus, get those programs on Time-Warner cable systems in metropolitan New York, flaunting Time-Warner's "blackout"??
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
Could CBS temporarily simulcast network programs on WLNY-55 and thus, get those programs on Time-Warner cable systems in metropolitan New York, flaunting Time-Warner's "blackout"??
Click to expand...

They could, but why? The whole idea is for CBS to withhold their content from TW subscribers. This, in theory, would create leverage for CBS by creating an uproar from TW customers who are missing out on CBS programming. The uproar would hopefully (for CBS) compel TW to enter into an agreement with CBS at less than favorable terms to pacify the riled up subscribers.
 
>>>WLNY-TV is "must carry" and not impacted. <<<

Well, WCBS-TV is a must carry as well. Nearly all TV stations within a geographic region of your cable system are "must carry" stations unless the station doesn't ask for it or another arrangement is made. So technically, I'm not sure how TWC can black out WCBS-TV. Obviously Showtime is another matter.

And Friday night WLNY will be carrying the WCBS-TV prime time line up, Undercover Boss, Hawaii Five-O and Blue Bloods. But that's because Channel 2 will be running a pre-season Jets game. It has nothing to do with the Time Warner black out.

But WLNY does run several shows that also run on WCBS-TV, Judge Judy, The Doctors, even WCBS-TV News. The news department produces a 9pm hour newscast that runs on Channel 55. And in the morning, WLNY airs "The Couch," a light look at news, weather, traffic and features, while "CBS This Morning" is running on Channel 2. So if you're a fan of The Doctors, Judge Judy or WCBS TV News, you can still watch these programs despite the black out, via WLNY.
 
WCBS-TV is not "must carry" -- it's retransmission consent.

TWC did not black out WCBS-TV. Time Warner and CBS failed to come to mutually agreeable terms, and therefore TWC was no longer permitted to carry WCBS-TV.
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
Could CBS temporarily simulcast network programs on WLNY-55 and thus, get those programs on Time-Warner cable systems in metropolitan New York, flaunting Time-Warner's "blackout"??
Click to expand...

Even though they will use TV 10/55 as a backup for network programming during breaking news, CBS is not going to do that. CBS has also blocked access to their websites such as CBS.com and CBSSPORTS.com (even though their sports networks are not part of the current negotiations) from anyone using TW for internet access.

The New York City Council grilled executives from both firms yesterday, telling them their customers are being inconvenienced during their inability to come to an agreement.

TW even offered to make CBS a la carte, giving customers the opton of paying for it or not. For me, I could do without broadcast stations on cable. A simple $12 rabbit ear antenna provides the major stations (2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 25, 31, 41 and 47) and their subs very well here in NYC, and a rooftop antenna pulls in the rest.
 
NYC viewer said:
Joseph_Gallant said:
Could CBS temporarily simulcast network programs on WLNY-55 and thus, get those programs on Time-Warner cable systems in metropolitan New York, flaunting Time-Warner's "blackout"??
Click to expand...

Even though they will use TV 10/55 as a backup for network programming during breaking news, CBS is not going to do that. CBS has also blocked access to their websites such as CBS.com and CBSSPORTS.com (even though their sports networks are not part of the current negotiations) from anyone using TW for internet access.

The New York City Council grilled executives from both firms yesterday, telling them their customers are being inconvenienced during their inability to come to an agreement.

TW even offered to make CBS a la carte, giving customers the opton of paying for it or not. For me, I could do without broadcast stations on cable. A simple $12 rabbit ear antenna provides the major stations (2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 25, 31, 41 and 47) and their subs very well here in NYC, and a rooftop antenna pulls in the rest.
Click to expand...
Wow. a la carte for CBS? How long before that would spread to other networks and to other cable providers?
 
azumanga said:
On a side note, I find that the blocking of Showtime and Smithsonian are asinine, as we pay extra for these channels.
Click to expand...

It's just to cause a greater impact and give CBS even more leverage in the dispute. But, it's not like Homeland is even airing new episodes, so I can't imagine many really missing Showtime right now.
 
DTV-Chief said:
Wow. a la carte for CBS? How long before that would spread to other networks and to other cable providers?
Click to expand...

I know the cable companies would prefer that. As a viewer, I would prefer that. Cable systems push that option whenever a programmer wants a hefty fee. CBS doesn't like it, and it probably won't happen, for a while at least. As more and more programmers expect wallets to open upon command, that might change.

After all, I get the broadcast stations via an antenna, and it is easy to switch between sources on a digital set. Why should I pay for programming on cable that I get for free over the air?
 
ding12 said:
azumanga said:
On a side note, I find that the blocking of Showtime and Smithsonian are asinine, as we pay extra for these channels.
Click to expand...

It's just to cause a greater impact and give CBS even more leverage in the dispute. But, it's not like Homeland is even airing new episodes, so I can't imagine many really missing Showtime right now.
Click to expand...

Dexter fans are very upset that they are missing the final episodes of Dexter right now. I know I am. Check out TWC's Facebook page if you want to see it.
 
I have heard that TWC offered to pay $2 per subscriber, per month to CBS, a huge increase from the current 50 cents -- and that CBS rejected that offer.

Not sure if that offer was tied to making CBS an a la carte option. It seemed like an offer that TWC was "reluctant" to make and thus possibly included all subscribers. Is that possible? How much is CBS holding out for?

Any chance that the FCC will take another look at retransmission consent?
 
They are the highest rated broadcast network, so they must be doing something right. But to use that to demand that cable companies (ultimately, the viewers) have to pay huge fees to CBS, while they broadcast over the public airwaves that anyone may tune into at no cost -- there is something wrong there.

With a digital TV, reception is just fine for me -- even though I had ghosting, shadows and sometimes fuzzy reception in the days before cable. Also, the Source or Input button on the remote makes it very easy to switch between cable and antenna. I never miss it when any station gets pulled off as has happened with WABC years ago.

I say it is time that the FCC revisit the idea of letting stations bargain for fees. Or at least impose a tax on any broadcaster that obtains any revenue from cable systems.
 
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