Looks Like Lin is back!

The thing is that cable systems and satellite systems need to be forced to carry locals for free (as part of the basic package and only allowed to charge operating cost for "Local only package") and local stations should be barred to the point of losing their broadcast license from charging a single penny for rebroadcast rights within the area the station is licensed to serve. That would stop these mega-media giants from holding the people they are charged to serve hostage every three years when retrans consent comes up for renewal.
 
Here we go again...... KXAN here in Austin had one of their suits do a piece as part of the news (like a real news story) tonight.... Of course blaming things on DISH (Never called Dish Network). They sent viewers to their web page, which had the following link DISH Network Retransmission Dispute . If people have questions, they are sent to the Dish Network phone number.

I'm getting really tired of these disputes. However, I can't see having my bill jacked up because Dish got held up by the stations. I hope Charlie holds his ground!!
 
i'm sure that KNSD and my local NBC station KXAS will not be in this pending dispute as NBC Universal owns 76% of those two stations while LIN owns only 24% of those two stations.
 
Well I guess I'm about to lose my local FOX affiliate, which I haven't watched more than one full hour of since 24 ended.
 
Here in Connecticut we would lose our ABC affiliate. Luckily I get ABC from Springfield Mass via OTA as well. :D

Looks like they also own WCTX which I believe is My Network Television as well, so I would be losing 2 channels.

I take it WTNH only has one out going HD feed; I'm in CableVision (soon to be with DirecTV) and last night they had the crawl on -- wife said to me are we switching to them I said no lol
 
We lost thses same stations for over a month a couple of years back when they had a carriage dispute with Crime Warner. WIVB is the CBS affilliate and WLNO is the CW affilliate in BUF. Outside of NFL football I dont think either were missed...at least in my house. The importance of local content like news is way overblown here in the Internet age when even the local snoozepaper is offering video related to big stories. Ill go FTA for football (assuming the Bills put a team on the field worth watching). Go ahead, pull your channel from Dish.

Back when Lin and TWC were battling; it was football season and Time Warner actually gave their subs a free OTA antenna to get the channels. That was sorta self defeating for TWC. IF you can use the OTA method, why did you need them? If I recall it was a couple month battle. I was with Dish at the time, and thought wow, that is why I didn't have cable because of lousy customer service policies and losing locals. How times have change.:confused:
 
Huge Kudos to the responses here. No one wants to lose their locals, but unlike a couple of years ago when so many always blamed Dish, it has become apparent the networks try to hold Dish, and us, hostage unless their demands are met. And now it isn't just Dish who now stands up to them.

I admit, I don't know who the costs rests with, but I'm guessing most of it is with Dish. Maybe it's time to extend the free OTA reception. Don't let the networks get anything at all except if there is a specific cost to get the signal to Dish that they don't otherwise incur to get it OTA. And then regulate Dish (Direct, etc..) that they can only recover their cost to get the signal to us. Nothing more for networks. Please note, this is not "I think I should get it for free." Well it is, but only because it is free OTA, so the networks should not be allowed to charge for their programming just because it comes over the Dish. And being fair, Dish/direct should not be able to charge us either, other than recovering their costs.
 
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I agree. It's nice to see people coming around to seeing the racket these broadcast companies are running. I can't help but imagine that they look at cable and satellite with $_$ like it's some untapped resource for revenue. I wish the FCC would rein these guys in, but at the same time I feel they would probably throw a fit and say to the FCC that w/o being able to charge retransmission fees they wouldn't be able to operate. Which is really their own fault for counting on those shady fees in the first place.
 
This is pathetic and ridiculous... For the record, I get the stations via OTA as well as Dish, so I really don't care if they are dropped. Anyway, not too long ago, LIN and Time Warner were in their pissing match and guess what LIN was saying/doing ? SUBSCRIBE TO DISH !! They were promoting Dish Network (over DirecTV) for people who were worried about losing them from TW.
 
Slepping

The thing is that cable systems and satellite systems need to be forced to carry locals for free (as part of the basic package and only allowed to charge operating cost for "Local only package") and local stations should be barred to the point of losing their broadcast license from charging a single penny for rebroadcast rights within the area the station is licensed to serve. That would stop these mega-media giants from holding the people they are charged to serve hostage every three years when retrans consent comes up for renewal.
must have slept thru this happening,remember when locals begged the FCC to make providers carry their stations now they want $$ come on man.
seen this happen back in a football season a few years back to some provider back east.
but when did they start getting paid $ ?
 
I have an OTA antenna. Hang in there Charlie. Pennies a day. Let's see. .09 x30- 2.70. We pay Dish $5 for 4 stations. Thats $1.25 per station per month or .042 of 1 cent per day. This does not include Charlie's uplink cost. So, what cost does the station have. Oh!! nothing. Never give in Charlie.
 
I sent the following email to all of them at Lin:

Pennies a day. Let's see. .09 x30- 2.70. We pay Dish $5 for 4 stations. Thats $1.25 per station per month or .042 of 1 cent per day. This does not include Dish’s uplink cost. What costs are you trying to offset. You don’t deserve a penny. Who do you think will have to pay for this increase. ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
What I sent to all...
Dear Sirs & Madams;

Please reconsider dropping LIN programming from Dish, they are doing you a service providing your programming through out New Mexico and it doesn't cost you a cent.

If your programming is dropped, those with Dish will find other programming to watch, the NBC & ABC affiliates and or the programming such as USA, FX, TNT, TBS etc....

You will be shooting yourself in the foot as once other viewing is found, it will be hard to go back to what you provide.


Thanks;

Don
 
My e-mail to local LIN station (WDTN):
Subject: Isn't it ironic - not the Alanis Morissette song

I see that LIN is in yet another dispute... It's ironic that just a couple years ago when fighting with Time Warner, LIN was telling viewer to switch to Dish ! Now what do they do, switch back to TW or DirecTV ? LIN needs to save the press releases and just run "Find and replace" on them every so often !

I receive your station via an antenna, so I don't care what happens :) Viewers like me must be the worst thing for local stations as they provide zero revenue. Ad revenue can't count, of course, 'cause viewers on cable or satellite get those same ads, so they effectively cancel each other out.


Regards
Hall
 
One of the beauties of having OTA rocking and rolling... I try to do all my recording via OTA on the 2 OTA tuners anyways to keep the satellite tuners open for recording shows on other channels.