SubscribeAt least six million Charter Spectrum customers could lose access to Tribune Media-owned outlets at 12:01 am on Jan. 1 because the two companies have yet to reach agreement on a retransmission consent contract extension.
Almost three dozen over-the-air stations are impacted, including WGN Chicago, WPIX New York, and KTLA Los Angeles. If the stations are blacked out, customers will also lose access to the hockey matches, NFL playoffs and NCAA basketball games aired on those stations.
“The NFL playoffs begin Jan. 5 and we want football fans in our markets to be able to watch these games and root for their favorite teams—we want to reach an agreement with Spectrum,” said Gary Weitman, Tribune Media’s senior vice president for corporate relations. “We’ve offered Spectrum fair market rates for our top-rated local news, live sports and high-quality entertainment programming, and similarly fair rates for our cable network, WGN America. Spectrum has refused our offer.”
Tribune-owned TV stations
Charter Communications claims it is working hard to find a fair agreement with Tribune, which will likely include a significant rate hike with the broadcast station owner that will eventually be passed on to Spectrum subscribers as part of the Broadcast TV surcharge, now approaching $10 a month in many areas.
Let the stations go dark. No reason to charge cable / payTV customers for something that is given away for free to those who use an antenna. Local broadcast channels that request retransmission fees should be removed from the Broadcast Basic Tier. Current law gives broadcast station owners much leverage, since local stations MUST be on the broadcast tier, you must purchase the broadcast tier before ANY additional linear video programming can be added to the subscription. Local TV stations that ask for retransmission fees should become a-la-carte. An antenna or Locast.org can be used (in some markets: Boston, New… Read more »
Not everyone wants rabbit ears to watch channels they pay for every month!!! I think what Tribune is doing is a damn dirty shame and all for greed!!! They’re taking money out of the Americans pockets and that ain’t right!!
I agree .. the MSOs need to force must carry or refuse to carry these networks.
Spectrum needs to pay up or CUT MY CABLE BILL! I cannot watch the NFL tonight in Cleveland on Fox 8 due to this. WOW Cable in my area has Fox 8 and cannot wait to switch once they are in Vermilion OH. Also, end the ridiculous message that is continuously scrolling on Channel 8 about how greedy Tribune is, this is adding insult to injury! Looking in AIR TV (Google it) and HULU.
Then youre gonna pay up. Read your TOS and youll see programming changes are subject to change ..dont like it read what you agree to before you use the service. Not their fault you fail to read.
PLEASE resolve your conflicts! WGN is one of my favorite channels. I pay TOO MUCH for cable to not be able to see the channels as I wish. I don’t want to switch to rabbit ears for one channel.
Then tell that to Tribune. They own the channel and can take it anytime they wish.