BREAKING: Tribune pulls Channels from Cablevision

[nynewslover 280]

As of 12:01 (I would assume) tribune has pulled all it's channels off Cablevision including PIX11.. In the meantime Cablevision is showing a preview of the new style network in the Ch11 slot with a scroll on the bottom of the screen explaining the situation.. I guess they're ratings will be even lower now?

[T.L. Hughes 903]

What's funny about Tribune's stations being pulled from Cablevision is that it occurred hours after that the same provider had finally ended its stalemate with NFL Network. BTW, this retrans impasse also affects WPHL/Philadelphia, WCCT/Hartford and KWGN/Denver on their New Jersey, Connecticut and Colorado systems, respectively. Cablevision is alleging that the investment firms that have attained control of Tribune after its reorganization plan was approved in court last month are demanding higher retrans fees to help accrue enough cash to help claw the company's way out of bankruptcy.

[ABC 7 Denver 1729]

BTW, this retrans impasse also affects WPHL/Philadelphia, WCCT/Hartford and KWGN/Denver on their New Jersey, Connecticut and Colorado systems, respectively.

 

A. We do not have Cablevision is the Denver market. We have Comcast and CenturyLink. But since CenturyLink has outdated equipment that doesn't service customers very good internet, Comcast pretty much has a monopoly here. B. Are we talking about Cablevision in northern Colorado, the FoCo area?

[anthonyz 26]

A. We do not have Cablevision is the Denver market. We have Comcast and CenturyLink. But since CenturyLink has outdated equipment that doesn't service customers very good internet, Comcast pretty much has a monopoly here. B. Are we talking about Cablevision in northern Colorado, the FoCo area?

 

He is referring to Optimum West (is what CV calls it) which was formally Bresnan Cable.

[ABC 7 Denver 1729]

Hmmm... Ok. Thanks!

[RGSJenkins 435]

WPIX and Antenna TV blocked on Cablevision, I frankly don't give a damn.

[Vlad 334]

This is why I switched to FiOS long ago, too many retransmission issues to deal with its ridiculous. Verizon has yet to have an issue as such, sure its more expensive than cable but the product they give you is far more superior, faster, and just way better.. And I signed another two year agreement with them, and i'm pretty content, sure the prices are higher than most services but its totally worth it.

[nynewslover 280]

This is why I switched to FiOS long ago, too many retransmission issues to deal with its ridiculous. Verizon has yet to have an issue as such, sure its more expensive than cable but the product they give you is far more superior, faster, and just way better.. And I signed another two year agreement with them, and i'm pretty content, sure the prices are higher than most services but its totally worth it.

I have cablevision and was talking to a Verizon contractor about it and he said its bound to happen on every service eventually. You gotta remember Verizon hasn't been around near as long as cablevision therefore the contracts btwn them and the networks aren't expiring just yet.

[moshewx 19]

^{Does anyone miss WPIX? I sure don't. Especially the news department.}

[RGSJenkins 435]

^{Does anyone miss WPIX? I sure don't. Especially the news department.}

When I was at work during the weekend, the TV was on "the station which the last three of its call letters rhymes with p!&@" (It was on Dish), there was a segment where Jay Dow (who my co-workers think he has a awful "serious face") asked a person to show him his handgun that the person was bringing in to cash in. After the gun was shown, I walked out of the room

 

In reality, the man was hiding his face not because he was carrying a gun, but he was on "the station which the last three of its call letters rhymes with p!&@"

 

Update: I know PIX is pronounced as "picks", but the way their newscasts has been, "p!&@" sounds better.

[anthonyz 26]

When I was at work during the weekend, the TV was on "the station which the last three of its call letters rhymes with p!&@" (It was on Dish), there was a segment where Jay Dow (who my co-workers think he has a awful "serious face") asked a person to show him his handgun that the person was bringing in to cash in. After the gun was shown, I walked out of the room

 

In reality, the man was hiding his face not because he was carrying a gun, but he was on "the station which the last three of its call letters rhymes with p!&@"

 

Update: I know PIX is pronounced as "picks", but the way their newscasts has been, "p!&@" sounds better.

PIX stands for Picture when Daily News owned the station. Second, I heard Cox cable has pulled WPIX off their lineup.

[nynewslover 280]

I have a question. From what I'm hearing the executives at CW are flipping out because the new fall shows debut soon.. Tribune operates PIX correct? So couldn't CW put a channel on Cablevision and just air their own shows and programming? Or would there be a problem with that since they are affiliated with PIX? Also could CW break their affiliation with PIX and then affiliate the channel with someone else and allow them to produce a newscast and local programming on all providers?

[Jess 1116]

I have a question. From what I'm hearing the executives at CW are flipping out because the new fall shows debut soon.. Tribune operates PIX correct? So couldn't CW put a channel on Cablevision and just air their own shows and programming? Or would there be a problem with that since they are affiliated with PIX? Also could CW break their affiliation with PIX and then affiliate the channel with someone else and allow them to produce a newscast and local programming on all providers?

CW has a long-term affiliation contract with Tribune that doesn't expire until 2016. While I imagine neither party is happy with each other at this point, they can't just move the affiliation.

 

Maybe they make alternative arrangements if this goes on a long time (which, given who's involved, is entirely possible), but they'd have to go through Tribune and I don't see that happening. If they were to just decide to move CW programming to, say, WLNY without telling Tribune, congratulations, you've breached the contract and lost carriage in eleven other markets. Also, I doubt not having the WPIX news is a major concern to just about anyone. The market is saturated, oh, and their news is crap.

 

Somewhat related, WPHL is part of this mess and has also been pulled off Cablevision, so they're also running the "get us back on Cablevision" stuff. Given that this is literally Comcast Country, it initially seemed hilarious that they were going for fringe viewership - until I noticed that Cablevision actually covers a large swath of the Central Jersey area that's claimed by both markets. (Though I don't think they serve an all-Philadelphia market.)

[eyewitness_news 5]

Same subject, different subscriber.

 

In the Meriden, CT area, Cox Communications pulled WPIX from the lineup on August 17. It was the only New York City station in the lineup until 12:00 am that day.

http://www.fiercecable.com/story/cablevision-tribune-spat-leaves-cox-subscribers-without-wpix-tv/2012-08-20

[RGSJenkins 435]

A month into the lockout, Cablevision replaced Style Network with the NFL Network this morning.

[24994J 5630]

A month into the lockout, Cablevision replaced Style Network with the NFL Network this morning.

Well, I guess if there was any silver lining...

[TrustyGem 2]

A month into the lockout, Cablevision replaced Style Network with the NFL Network this morning.

Personally I Predict that NBCUniversal(Comcast) is Going to go after Cablevision over it dropping the style network

[IceManNYR 240]

My guess is Cablevision put the NFL Network on Ch11 because the Giants play Thursday and those without a package that includes NFLN would not have access to the game.

[PIXfan 34]

Here is the latest off the web about the retrans fiasco between Tribune and Cablevision, and judging by what I've read, it's not looking good...for WPIX.

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/pix_isn_missed_JJFSSUUIO1uFsD2816WyFL

 

http://www.northjersey.com/news/171095171_WPIX-Cablevision_dispute_draws_big_yawn.html

 

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118059514

[PIXfan 34]

More bad news for WPIX, concerning their 10 p.m. "news," which, according to this article, has seen a 42 percent decline in viewership from this time last year since the retrans stalemate began.

 

But then again, subtract 42 percent from, not a lot of people watching in the first place....

 

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/184390/wpix-news-ratings-fall-precipitously-during-blacko.html

[PIXfan 34]

The following article from TVPredictions.com is actually from ten days ago, and it repeats much of what is said in previous articles I read, but I agree with what is said in it.

 

http://www.tvpredictions.com/providers100412.htm

 

What is actually so SAD and PATHETIC is that WPIX believes that it actually has any leverage in this dispute. The folks running the joint are living in a fantasy land.

 

"Seinfeld" reruns? Tune to TBS.

 

CW programming? Online at www.cwtv.com.

 

Local news? Plenty of options here in America's largest market.

 

I am not necessarily siding with Cablevision, but let's be honest. This is a dispute that Tribune has lost. They need to suck it up and put their stations back on the system before they end up killing them.

[T.L. Hughes 903]

They need to suck it up and put their stations back on the system before they end up killing them.

 

"Killing them" seems a little strong. Tribune owns 26 broadcast properties (23 broadcast stations, two cable channels they own outright plus a minority ownership interest in Food Network), only six of these are affected by the dispute: WPIX, WPHL, KWGN, WGN America and the Hartford duopoly of WTIC and WCCT. The affected stations are only in the New York-New Jersey service areas and its Optimum West service area in Colorado, so the rest of the Tribune television properties outside those six aren't affected. But yes, they need to settle this soon, especially if WPIX has any hope of engineering a turnaround of its newscasts now that Bill Carey's gone as news director, if their newscasts do get revamped, they need as many eyeballs on the screen possible and about 3 million New Yorkers can't get WPIX right now if they're Cablevision subscribers. Besides, I don't think The CW is taking to kindly to the fact that their largest affiliate isn't available in parts of America's largest market; even though two of their new shows did do well this past week without WPIX's absence from Cablevision affecting ratings.

[PIXfan 34]

UPDATE...With the retrans impasse now in its third month with no end in sight, Cablevision has replaced the NFL Network with Oprah Winfrey's OWN in the channel 11 slot.