U-Verse: Programming notices for May Options (The end of U-Verse)

IcEWoLF

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Programming notices for May
Notice Appearing in USA Today on May 16, 2017


AT&T's contracts with programmers for the content displayed on U-verse TV service periodically expire, or may be terminated, but are usually re-negotiated or extended with no interruption or change for our U-verse members. Additionally, from time to time it is necessary to change channel line-ups as well as television package contents. The programming changes set forth below may occur as follows:

May 2017:

AT&T's contract with the programmer for the following channels is set to expire. While these channels will continue to be available to U-verse members so long as AT&T has the rights to carry them, if a reasonable agreement cannot be reached with the programmer the programming will no longer be available. AT&T may modify the channel location for the programming by moving them from their current channel location to a channel between 9501 – 9599, and if a reasonable longer term agreement cannot be reached with the programmers, we may lose the rights to carry them (listed in alphabetical order) in or after May 2017: NFL Network (channel 630 and 1630 in HD), and NFL Red Zone (channel 1629 in HD).

As well as the following local channels: 1) In Alabama, in the Mobile area, WALA (channel 10 and 1010 in HD); 2) In Georgia, in the Atlanta area, WGCL (channel 46 and 1046 in HD) and WPCH (channel 17 and 1017 in HD); 3) In Kansas, in the Topeka area, KTKA (channel 49 and 1049 in HD) and KTKAD3 (channel 50); 4) In Kentucky, in the Louisville area, WBKI (channel 28 and 1028 in HD); 5) In Michigan, in the Flint-Saginaw-Bay City area, WNEM (channel 5 and 1005 in HD); 6) In Missouri, in the Kansas City area, KCTV (channel 5 and 1005 in HD), and KSMO (channel 62 and 1062 in HD); and in the St. Louis area, KMOV (channel 4 and 1004 in HD); 7) In Mississippi, in the Jackson area, WLOO (channel 35 and 1035 in HD); 8) In Ohio, in the Dayton area, WBDT (channel 26 and 1026 in HD); 9) In South Carolina, in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, WHNS (channel 21 and 1021 in HD); 10) In Tennessee, in the Nashville area, WSMV (channel 4 and 1004 in HD); 11) In Texas, in the Austin area, KNVA (channel 12 and 1012 in HD) and in the Corpus Christi area, KXPXLP (channel 14).

Effective May 31, 2017 XETV (THE CW) in San Diego, CA (channel 6 and 1006 in HD) will cease operations. San Diego area viewers will have access to THE CW programming on another local station.

On or after May 30, 2017, the Uverse.com site may be retired and no longer available for video streaming. Additionally, on or after May 30, 2017, the U-verse app may be unavailable on the XBox One and Windows mobile operating systems as well. Customers will still be able to stream via the U-verse mobile app on all other supported platforms. More information will be available at Uverse.com.

June 2017:

As previously noticed, AT&T's contract with the programmer for the following channels is set to expire. While these channels will continue to be available to U-verse members so long as AT&T has the rights to carry them, if a reasonable agreement cannot be reached with the programmer the programming will no longer be available. AT&T may modify the channel location for the programming by moving them from their current channel location to a channel between 9501 – 9599, and if a reasonable longer term agreement cannot be reached with the programmers, we may lose the rights to carry them (listed in alphabetical order) in or after June 2017: Centroamerica TV (channel 3044), GMA Pinoy TV (channel 3683), iHeart Radio (channel 532 and 1532 in HD), MGM HD (channel 1116 in HD), Pasiones (channel 3018), Television Dominicana (channel 3047), V-me (channel 3015), V-me Kids (channel 3058) and WAPA America (channel 3013).

As well as the following local channels: 1) In Michigan, Local Interest Channel (channel 5380); 2) In Nevada, in the Reno area, KTVN (channel 2 and 1002 in HD); 3) In Tennessee, in the Chattanooga area, WRCB (channel 3 and 1003 in HD).

July 2017:

AT&T's contract with the programmer for the following channels is set to expire. While these channels will continue to be available to U-verse members so long as AT&T has the rights to carry them, if a reasonable agreement cannot be reached with the programmer the programming will no longer be available. AT&T may modify the channel location for the programming by moving them from their current channel location to a channel between 9501 – 9599, and if a reasonable longer term agreement cannot be reached with the programmers, we may lose the rights to carry them (listed in alphabetical order) in or after July 2017: Arabic Radio & Television (channel 3732) and Family Entertainment TV (channel 578).

As well as the following local channels: 1) In Florida, in the Orlando area, WTMO (channel 31 and 1031 in HD); 2) In Texas, in the El Paso area, KTDO (channel 48 and 1048 in HD).

Source: https://forums.att.com/t5/Watching-U-verse-TV/Programming-notices-for-May/td-p/5152522
 
So not only they might be losing the NFL Network channels but they might lose bunch of local affiliates.
In Reno if they lose channel 2, they gonna get pissed real quick!
There is a decent amount of people that use U-Verse here.

Sounds like they are trying to cut their losses on U-Verse ASAP and not wanting to renew some of these channels so they can move people either to DirecTV Now or DirecTV itself.
I am glad I hired a contractor to do my install, I would have been pissed if I lost any locals if I switched to U-Verse.
 
Not exactly the end of U-Verse, but I think you may be right: Let it degrade and folks will move on. I'm sure they'll keep most customers, just move them to another house brand.
 
Not exactly the end of U-Verse, but I think you may be right: Let it degrade and folks will move on. I'm sure they'll keep most customers, just move them to another house brand.

They want to start saving up bandwidth, I think they are trying to push folks to DirecTV Now first then DirecTV, it seems like they are pushing the NOW service more than anything, I see in most of the electronic retails the DirecTV Now thing playing on their 4K TV's, Best Buy, Target, AT&T Store, and few others.
I am surprised they are pushing the incomplete now service when they don't even have the most basic thing yet, which is a cloud DVR...

Sony could have capitalized on this if they started advertising hard on TV their Vue service, they would gain more and more subscriptions.
 
Did anyone notice the part if that if they think they may have a problem with a program provider they then they move the channel in question to the 9500 range?

GENIUS MOVE!

I'm really surprised Dish has not thought of this.

Take all the channels that are coming up for contract renewal, change the channel number and see how many customers call and bitch about loosing the channel.

Give the customer the new channel number as to not piss them off, and take note of how many customers actually care enough to call about the missing channel.

Depending on the back lash from customers, depends on how AT&T will
Negotiate to keep the channel when they go to the bargaining table.
 
Good. They know how many are watching, but this would tell them how many really care.

Don't some contracts specify a particular channel, or range of channels?