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What's With The Time Warner Cable Ads

M

Mark Giardina

Recently Time Warner Cable here in Rochester has been running ads urging people to visit some web site and express their concerns about some cable networks' desire to raise their rates.

The ad goes on to say that Time Warner is trying to fight these rate increases and that if the cable networks don't get their way, they will not be featured on local cable.

So what gives?

What networks are we talking about? How much of a rate increase? How would it impact our already high cable TV bills?

Perhaps Time Warner should revamp their ads to spell out what networks they are in negotiations with that wishes to raise their rates so that subscribers have a better idea of what is really going on. The current ad fails to address a number of key issues.
 
If you visit Time Warner's web site and look at legal notifications, you'll see what stations in our area are coming up for renewal soon. Looking at the channels, there might be some very interesting battles coming up, including WROC/WUHF. I think that is up in February, and CBS has the Super Bowl this year.
 
I wonder if it is the local channels or actual cable networks. Usually, rates for local channels can be worked out with trades for spots so I don't see that as a major issue. I think it is more likely the national cable channels that are greedy. I remember a couple years ago when Time Warner was raising their rates with the excuse that the program fees have risen. The example they used at the time was A&E. Seems that network had acquired the rights to the Sopranos for huge bucks and wanted cable fees to pay for it. The problem,as far as I was concerned, was I had no interest in the reruns of The Sopranos. At the time, I had HBO and never watched the show once. I certainly wasn't interested in a very edited and commercial filled version of the show. The whole thing brings back the argument for consumers picking the channels they want a la cart. I have always favored that idea.
There is a lot of talk going on about socialism and subsidizing now days. I can't think of a better example of subsidizing than paying for cable channels you don't want. Especially since the technology is there now with the digital tuners the cable companies make us use. Let the chips fall where they may.
 
therealjm12 said:
I wonder if it is the local channels or actual cable networks. Usually, rates for local channels can be worked out with trades for spots so I don't see that as a major issue.
Click to expand...

Ain't necessarily so. Channel 4 in Buffalo - the market leader - was off T-W cable for months a year or so ago because they couldn't come to an agreement on carriage rates.
 
This is Time Warner Cable preparing subscribers for the forthcoming death match hardball game they are going to play with some programmers, notably broadcast station groups (especially Sinclair) over retransmission consent agreements.

Their contract with News Corporation/Fox is also coming up for renewal, and Fox News and the other News Corp cable properties have been demanding massive increases in payments. Fox News in particular already got carriage of the dismally rated Fox Business News, as well as its regional sports channels. Now it wants bigger $$$ for the renewal. Fox Network (broadcast) has also gotten de facto first refusal rights over some renewal agreements if they don't feel they are getting enough compensation (Fox demands a cut of that action in many instances now).

Time Warner Cable wants to build a PR effort around subscribers coming together to fight program cost increases so the next time they play hardball and drop programming from the lineup, they'll have a better PR position.

Of course, they're still merrily increasing rates on customers anyway. Customers are always put in the middle, and they always lose no matter which corporate entity wins.

You can read a whole lot more about this issue, and observe the Mediacom-Sinclair pi**ing match over on stopthecap.com, including fun video.
 
rochnewsman said:
Time for me to switch to DirecTV if stuff starts getting pulled.
Click to expand...

Directv is not immune to pulling channels as well. They pulled the Versus channels 4 months ago because of increased carriage fees demanded by Comcast & we subscribers are still waiting to see if it ever comes back. There are a lot of pissed hockey fans who lost their NHL coverage.
 
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