UPDATED: Charter Communications customers may no longer receive WFAA-TV (ABC/Channel 8)

by PegNews wire

Without all that Dallas market money coming in, <i>Grey's Anatomy</i> star Patrick Dempsey might not be able to afford his daily shiny hair transplant.

Without all that Dallas market money coming in, Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey might not be able to afford his daily shiny hair transplant.

WFAA Channel 8 and Charter Communications may have reached an impasse meaning no more ABC programming for Charter cable customers. Though local channels have traditionally been carried for free on cable, that trend is changing. WFAA is now asking for about a penny a day per subscriber to run local news and sports and national ABC programming through the cable provider. Charter, which is quick to point out that said programming is offered for free online and over the air, is currently refusing WFAA's request, claiming it wants to avoid measures that will raise costs for customers.

Local McDreamy and McSteamy fan clubs have already begun to organize and are collecting pitchforks and machetes, should the need arise.

Update: Belo and Charter have apparently come to an agreement. Citizens of Tarrant County, however, have not yet come to an agreement on which of the two corporations they hate more.

Posted by Erin; Updated by Laura S.

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Todd Jones, says:

I can't believe it, but I might favor Charter on this one. They seem to actually be looking out for their customers. No free TV, you've got to be kidding me!

Staff

11 months, 1 week ago
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Mike Orren, says:

Although I don't believe it affects our coverage in any way, in the interest of full transparency:

Our parent company, <a href="http://news.google.com/news?q=fisher+communications+dish+network&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&hl=en&sa=X&oi=news_result&resnum=1&ct=title">Fisher Communications, is in a similar dispute with Dish Network</a>, and is currently not being carried by Dish in numerous markets in the Pacific Northwest.

We're going to see this situation play out a lot of times and in a lot of places in the near future. Retransmission (taking the on-air stations to cable or satellite) has become a real point of conflict: The local stations, crunched by advertising cutbacks, want more money for the cable companies re-selling a higher quality version of their signal. And particularly with basic cable customers, many who buy cable are doing so primarily to get a better local signal.

On the flip side, the cable/satellite providers have an aggregate audience with all the other channels that they do pay for that they're loathe to pay (or pay more) for what is already broadcast over the air for free.

Throw into the mix the strain on the network-affiliate model created by time-shifting, websites like Hulu and shows being made available on Itunes and through illicit bittorrenting, and you've got a perfect storm that will cause a lot of disruption in the next few years.

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11 months, 1 week ago
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sbisa, says:

I only think this will end up hurting those end consumers the most. WFAA and BELO corp should feel ashamed for them selves. I only hope congress gets involved and rewrites legislation in a way that helps make it more fair. It seems as if the other way is failing. It is sort of like the airlines charging a fee for oxygen then when gas prices go down the fees stay.

Anonymous

11 months, 1 week ago
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jstew330, says:

well, I've researched and I believe WFAA is in the right this time. Charter and other cable companies have to negotiate pricing with other major channels and we are talking $0.01 per day. Why don't they just make it a premium channel that we pay for. If they choose not to do something, I will go to Dish or another provider even though my community says cable only. I'll move or sue...and win. It is my freedom of choice to have whomever I want as a provider and my freedom to watch whomever I please. That freedom is given me by the Constitution of this Great United States of America.

"Charter....you should be ashamed!"