Now this points to something the FCC regulators should be "regulating" for the public good. Deals by content providers (e.g. LIN) that require 3rd party distribution networks to distribute a particular content (their NBC stations throughout the country)or all a particular provider's content channels (e.g. Showtime, Sundance, etal). Actually it appears that the Suddenlink/LIN saga is probably just the tip of the iceberg. The note below published in my community newsletter on Dec 31, 2007 alledges that LIN was trying to force Suddenlink to provide "economic compensation" for Suddenlink NOT using LIN content in certain other geographic markets: " FYI - From Suddenlink This is just FYI - so that you will know what is happening with the loss of KXAN if you are a Suddenlink subscriber. Also, Suddenlink will be on site at the Social Center Lobby on Wednesday morning, January 2, to hand out antennas and instructions for hook-up for your convenience, if you so desire.
From Robert B LeCour, Georgetown System Manager, Suddenlink Please understand: We were forced by KXAN's owner (LIN-TV, an east coast media conglomerate) to pull this station from our line up against our will. We made repeated offers to them, even this evening, in an attempt to keep KXAN on our line up and they continually rejected our offers. We even asked for an extension while we continue to negotiate. They said "No" and demanded we pull their signal under penalty of law. We are as frustrated by this situation as you are and promise we will add KXAN back to our line up in Georgetown, Leander, Pflugerville and elsewhere as soon as their owner gives us permission to do so.
Any suggestion by KXAN that Suddenlink voluntarily pulled their station from your line up is a blatant misrepresentation of what has actually happened here. One of the most frustrating elements of this negotiation was the fact that KXAN's owner refused to talk with us about a deal that involved only KXAN. They wanted us to provide them with economic consideration for stations in other markets -- including a CBS station they own in New Mexico. We already have another CBS station available to our New Mexico customers, and told them we wanted to focus just on KXAN and just for customers like you who don't have another NBC option. The fact that they refused such a deal suggests to us they care more about their TV stations in other cities and states than they do about their viewers in places like Pflugerville.
Regardless, we will continue to negotiate with KXAN's owners. In terms of your other questions: Details were posted to our Web site at www.suddenlink.com/fyi Thursday night and updates were added there tonight. We did not communicate sooner because, frankly, we had every reason to believe we would get a deal done. Our negotiating team has completed hundreds of these deals and has never beeen forced to pull a station like this under penalty of law.
In the meantime, we are providing set-top antenna free of charge (with installation instructions) on a first come, first-served basis while supplies last. Details on how they can be obtained are available here: http://suddenlink.wordpress.com/2007/12/30/complimentary-set-top-antenna/. In the meantime, if you are so inclined, I hope you will consider communicating with KXAN and its owner, LIN-TV, asking that they put this channel back on Suddenlink's line up while we attempt to reach a deal. You can contact KXAN at 512-476-3636 and the parent company (LIN-TV) at 401-454-2880 or information@lintv.com.
Robert B LeCour Georgetown System Manager"
I agree with GhostBuster. Also, I would also like to know just how much 3rd party distribution networks (e.g. Dish Network) are being paid by each of the shopping channels they broadcast. Is "block booking" of a multitude of shopping channels making distributors rich or just decreasing the number of other types of content channels that can be broadcast by a particular distributor? What are the real reasons consumers are being denied ala carte programming? We get to download particular songs we want as long as we pay a fee. Why are we not allowed a similar model for television? Heck, I might not want NBC in my home at all - or any LIN content at all.
If you go on LIN's website and look at their news releases you'll see numerous announcements related to disputes they're in with cable and satellite companies. It's clear who the villain in this piece is.
I've written to LIN and NBC about this dispute and DirecTV. I no longer will watch any NBC content because I can't get it in HD. HD is no longer a gimmick.
“Measuring 21.5 inches each, with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and optical multitouch technology under their chunky bezels, these two models represent the biggest mainstream push for touchscreen computing yet.”
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Now this points to something the FCC regulators should be "regulating" for the public good. Deals by content providers (e.g. LIN) that require 3rd party distribution networks to distribute a particular content (their NBC stations throughout the country)or all a particular provider's content channels (e.g. Showtime, Sundance, etal). Actually it appears that the Suddenlink/LIN saga is probably just the tip of the iceberg. The note below published in my community newsletter on Dec 31, 2007 alledges that LIN was trying to force Suddenlink to provide "economic compensation" for Suddenlink NOT using LIN content in certain other geographic markets:
" FYI - From Suddenlink
This is just FYI - so that you will know what is happening with the loss of KXAN if you are a Suddenlink subscriber. Also, Suddenlink will be on site at the Social Center Lobby on Wednesday morning, January 2, to hand out antennas and instructions for hook-up for your convenience, if you so desire.
From Robert B LeCour, Georgetown System Manager, Suddenlink
Please understand: We were forced by KXAN's owner (LIN-TV, an east coast media conglomerate) to pull this station from our line up against our will. We made repeated offers to them, even this evening, in an attempt to keep KXAN on our line up and they continually rejected our offers. We even asked for an extension while we continue to negotiate. They said "No" and demanded we pull their signal under penalty of law. We are as frustrated by this situation as you are and promise we will add KXAN back to our line up in Georgetown, Leander, Pflugerville and elsewhere as soon as their owner gives us permission to do so.
Any suggestion by KXAN that Suddenlink voluntarily pulled their station from your line up is a blatant misrepresentation of what has actually happened here.
One of the most frustrating elements of this negotiation was the fact that KXAN's owner refused to talk with us about a deal that involved only KXAN. They wanted us to provide them with economic consideration for stations in other markets -- including a CBS station they own in New Mexico. We already have another CBS station available to our New Mexico customers, and told them we wanted to focus just on KXAN and just for customers like you who don't have another NBC option. The fact that they refused such a deal suggests to us they care more about their TV stations in other cities and states than they do about their viewers in places like Pflugerville.
Regardless, we will continue to negotiate with KXAN's owners. In terms of your other questions: Details were posted to our Web site at www.suddenlink.com/fyi Thursday night and updates were added there tonight. We did not communicate sooner because, frankly, we had every reason to believe we would get a deal done. Our negotiating team has completed hundreds of these deals and has never beeen forced to pull a station like this under penalty of law.
In the meantime, we are providing set-top antenna free of charge (with installation instructions) on a first come, first-served basis while supplies last. Details on how they can be obtained are available here: http://suddenlink.wordpress.com/2007/12/30/complimentary-set-top-antenna/.
In the meantime, if you are so inclined, I hope you will consider communicating with KXAN and its owner, LIN-TV, asking that they put this channel back on Suddenlink's line up while we attempt to reach a deal. You can contact KXAN at 512-476-3636 and the parent company (LIN-TV) at 401-454-2880 or information@lintv.com.
Robert B LeCour
Georgetown System Manager"
I agree with GhostBuster. Also, I would also like to know just how much 3rd party distribution networks (e.g. Dish Network) are being paid by each of the shopping channels they broadcast. Is "block booking" of a multitude of shopping channels making distributors rich or just decreasing the number of other types of content channels that can be broadcast by a particular distributor? What are the real reasons consumers are being denied ala carte programming? We get to download particular songs we want as long as we pay a fee. Why are we not allowed a similar model for television? Heck, I might not want NBC in my home at all - or any LIN content at all.
If you go on LIN's website and look at their news releases you'll see numerous announcements related to disputes they're in with cable and satellite companies. It's clear who the villain in this piece is.
I've written to LIN and NBC about this dispute and DirecTV. I no longer will watch any NBC content because I can't get it in HD. HD is no longer a gimmick.