WXXA-FOX23 contract with Verizon FiOS expires 1/12

[Chris Miller]

The carriage contract between Verizon FiOS and WXXA-FOX23 is due to expire on January 12th, 2012. This contract allows Verizon to carry WXXA-FOX23 and without a new contract, Verizon will no longer be allowed to carry WXXA-FOX23.

WXXA is broadcasting a crawl on their channel with this information and they are requesting that the viewers call 866.526.1855 to let Verizon know that you want to keep WXXA on the lineup. All viewers, not just FiOS subscribers, got to see that crawl. It was kind of lame that they kicked their HD signal down to SD just to play that crawl.

The only problem with that number is that it's their general line. You need to drill down through the tech support options for FiOS TV. After a 10 minute wait, I got through to support and expressed my concern. I don't know if that accomplished anything, but I did it anyways.

On the WXXA home page, they have the following notice:

Status of Carriage of WXXA-FOX23 on Verizon FiOS channel 8..

The current contract by which Verizon FiOS has the right to carry WXXA-FOX23 expires on January 12th, 2012. We have reached deals with all other cable and satellite providers in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY market for carriage of WXXA-FOX23. As the operator of WXXA-FOX23, we are currently working to reach a new agreement with Verizon FiOS. However based on the current status of those discussions, we do not believe Verizon FiOS will be carrying WXXA-FOX23 after January 12th, 2012. In the event WXXA-FOX23 cannot reach an agreement with Verizon FiOS, only Verizon FiOS subscribers would be affected. Please note that WXXA-FOX23 will continue to be broadcast over the air, in addition to being carried on DIRECTV, Dish Network, Time Warner and numerous other cable providers. We encourage viewers of WXXA-FOX23 who are Verizon FiOS subscribers to make alternative arrangements in order to continue viewing our great programming line-up, which includes American Idol, House, Glee, the Simpsons, in addition to the NFL, Nascar and Major League Baseball sports franchises and local news programming. Verizon FiOS subscribers can call Verizon FiOS at 866.526.1855 to let them know that you value WXXA-FOX23 and will consider canceling your Verizon FiOS service if the station is not carried. We at WXXA-FOX23 value our viewers and apologize for any inconvenience this is causing. We will continue to update our viewers on the status of carriage on Verizon FiOS

I hope that Verizon and WXXA can work this out. If the Giants make it through to the divisional playoffs, we have that as a risk. Fortunately for us, this year is NBC's turn to carry the Superbowl, so that can't be used as a bargaining chip.

[ebo]

In the interest of fairness I hope you also called WXXA to urge them to reconsider Verizon's offer. I wouldn't worry, though. This sort of thing seems to come up at every contract renewal time. I remember Time Warner whining that some station was demanding an unreasonable increase and we should just say no. Most likely this will go up to the last minute, then one side or the other will blink and we'll never know which. At worst, the station will be off FiOS for a few days to a week. The failure of a major local station to be on a major local carrier hurts both parties. It's just a question of which feels the pain more.

As for cancelling FiOS service over this, I doubt that many subscribers can do so without penalty. Most are probably still within the first year of a contract. But TW's limited basic service isn't expensive, and many could get WXXA OTA with a suitable antenna.

[Chris Miller]

I didn't bother calling WXXA. I only called Verizon to see if WXXA had the right number. I would bet most people would hang up rather than try to navigate Verizon's phone menu.

If the contract expires, it's going to hurt WXXA more than it will Verizon. Advertisers will be less likely to pay if they know that a percentage of the cable audience can't get the channel. I think WXXA will blink before Verizon does.

[BenJF3]

These locals are idiots that don't realize the benefit they get from cable/fios/sat carriage. A prime example of this was when WKTV threatened to pull it's signal from TWC in Utica. TWC said Ok and piped in NBC from an outside affiliate as well as put all the NBC Primetime programming on VOD. Within a week EVERY advertiser pulled their ads from WKTV which was forced to run PSA's over and over again to fill it's ad time. The dispute was settled soon after that.

[MasterFX1]

There are only 27,000 households in the Capital Region that can order FiOS service. That does not mean that there are 27K subscribers, it just means that there's 27K Households that COULD subscribe. This market has close to 1 Million households in it. (850K I believe.) So, I don't think WXXA is too concerned about viewer outrage. You're talking about an extreme minority of viewers that are effected by this.

Don't know the specifics of what went down with WKTV, but I would think that since the affiliate (WKTV) pays the network (NBC) to be the exclusive provider in a specific geographic area. Piping in an outside affiliate would likely violate someone's affiliate-network agreement.

[Chris Miller]

At this hour, WXXA is off FiOS.

[optivity]

I switched from Time Warner Cable to Verizon FiOS TV last summer. I'm not a fan of either cable TV provider, but I would not have made the switch had I known Verizon FiOS would drop FOX WXXA channel 23.

Unfortunately, I signed up for a (2) year agreement with Verizon FiOS and the early termination fee is $200(+).

I am so pi$$ed off at Verizon right now it's hard to describe.

I'm also on a month-to-month plan w/Verizon wireless for cell phone service. Maybe I'll switch to some other provider.

[Chris Miller]

Jan 13, 2012 11:44:15 GMT -5 @optivity said:

I switched from Time Warner Cable to Verizon FiOS TV last summer. I'm not a fan of either cable TV provider, but I would not have made the switch had I known Verizon FiOS would drop FOX WXXA channel 23.

Unfortunately, I signed up for a (2) year agreement with Verizon FiOS and the early termination fee is $200(+).

I am so pi$$ed off at Verizon right now it's hard to describe.

I'm also on a month-to-month plan w/Verizon wireless for cell phone service. Maybe I'll switch to some other provider.

Verizon didn't "drop" WXXA, their agreement expired because Verizon would not agree to WXXA's rate. If anything, I blame WXXA more than I blame Verizon. It's the same issue that's keeping MSG off of Time Warner. Well almost the same. WXXA is an OTA channel, we can still get it without cable.

Would you really switch wireless carriers based on what's going with carriage rates? I can see switching over poor coverage or because of the rates, but switching because a local station raised it's rates doesn't make much sense to me.

[shanedude]

Fios is so worth keeping that I can be inconvenienced by this loss. The little programming my family views on Fox can be viewed online anyhow for free. No loss here. I will likely still connect up OTA ant though for live sporting events and such. WXXA's loss. Their news blows anyhow!

[shanedude]

Thank you for your email. We were not able to reach an agreement with Verizon FiOS and thus our station is not available on Verizon FiOS. We are still trying to work with them in efforts to come to an agreement. I want to thank you for your viewership and let you know it is very important to us. I would be very disappointed to lose you as a viewer.

I'm not at the negotiating table with Verizon FiOS but If you would like to speak with the person who is negotiating with Verizon please contact Michael DiPasquale at 816-751-0200. He is more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thanks.
bill

Bill Sally, VP/GM
WXXA-TV
28 Corporate Circle
Albany, NY 12203
phone: [phone] fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]


________________________________________

Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 4:39 PM
To: Sally, Bill; Pelliccia, Paul
Subject: fox on fios
Your dispute with Verizon on the retransmission of WXXA ch#23 in upstate NY is pure corporate greed. Why must you and other networks charge our service providers for a feed readily available over the air for free? This just drives up the price we wind up paying for the service! You purposely inconvenience your viewers by doing this since.

Our family no longer will watch the local affiliate moving forward. The only programming we will miss, House, is available free of charge on fox.com.

So, go ahead and fight your battle and explain to your advertisers why your ratings have dropped!

Good riddance!

[adam]

I work at a local RadioShack and we only had one person come in today to buy an OTA antenna...so that kind of shows you how many people FOX is going to lose over this.

[xzi]

I'm guessing Giants fans will figure it out by 4:30 on Sunday.

[Chris Miller]

I don't watch enough WXXA to miss it. Network shows like "House" will still available via the VOD (free), it's local programming that's going to get lost.

And misery loves company, Newport TV (WXXA's owner) has pulled stations off in Syracuse and in PA. Michael DiPasquale is the VP and general counsel for Newport TV.

Syracuse's WSYR Channel 9 blocks signal to FiOS customers as negotiations with Verizon continue
For Verizon FiOS customers in the Syracuse area Friday, there was a roadblock on “Bridge Street” and all the other local and ABC programming WSYR Channel 9 has to offer.

A dispute between the station’s owner, Newport Television, and Verizon FiOS led WSYR to deliver on a threat to stop providing its signal to Verizon until a new contract can be reached between the two parties.

It’s unclear how long the blackout will continue.

Negotiations on the contract, which concerns how much Verizon will pay Newport Television to retransmit WSYR’s programming services, are ongoing, said John Bonomo, a regional director of media relations with Verizon.

“Verizon continues to negotiate with Newport to reach an agreement on contract terms that are reasonable and in our subscribers’ best interest, so that our customers can continue to receive the best possible television service and content they have come to expect,” said Bonomo.

It is unclear how many customers Verizon has in Central New York, where residents in several suburban communities have the ability to be connected to Verizon’s fiber-optic cable network.

For competitive reasons, the company does not release that number, said Bonomo, but nationwide Verizon has 4 million FiOS customers.

Kansas City, Mo.-based Newport Television has been alerting viewers of Channel 9 that it was in negotiations with Verizon FiOS over what the broadcast industry calls “carriage fees.” Viewers were told a blackout might occur Friday if an agreement had not been reached.

Newport today also blacked out programming to Verizon FiOS for one television station in the Albany market and two in Harrisburg.

A statement from Newport, posted on Channel 9’s website, says, in part, “We have reached deals with all other cable and satellite providers in the Syracuse market for carriage of NewsChannel 9 WSYR.” They include Time Warner Cable, DIRECTV and Dish Network satellite service.

WSYR and Newport are encouraging FiOS subscribers to contact Verizon FiOS at 800-837-4966.

Verizon has said it has contracts with all of the other television broadcasters in the Syracuse market to retransmit their local and affiliate programming.

“But so far Newport has refused our offers,” said Bonomo. “It is unfortunate that Newport has decided to remove this programming from our FiOS TV lineup, harming our customers in Syracuse.”

Bonomo and Newport said FiOS subscribers can receive Channel 9’s broadcast signal for free over the air with a digital antenna.

ABC also streams some of its programming on its website.

The Federal Communications Commission has in place rules over retransmission of local television broadcast signals over cable or by satellite.

Local broadcasters can exercise options to be carried by cable or satellite, said Lavonda Reed-Huff, a professor at Syracuse University’s law school. They can seek payment from the cable or satellite service or play the FCC card that says the cable or satellite service must carry the signal, without compensation.

Network affiliates, because of their strong programming lineup, usually seek the fees, said Reed-Huff.

“Allowing (broadcasters) to get compensation for carriage I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing,” said Reed-Huff.

Friday, January 13, 2012
By Bob Niedt / The Post-Standard

[ebo]

Jan 13, 2012 21:40:08 GMT -5 adam said:

I work at a local RadioShack and we only had one person come in today to buy an OTA antenna...so that kind of shows you how many people FOX is going to lose over this.

So, tell us what kind of antenna he bought. Was it one of those tiny indoor "digital" or "HDTV" antennas that haven't a prayer of picking up WXXA on channel 7?

[Chris Miller]

Jan 14, 2012 10:26:21 GMT -5 ebo said:

Jan 13, 2012 21:40:08 GMT -5 adam said:

I work at a local RadioShack and we only had one person come in today to buy an OTA antenna...so that kind of shows you how many people FOX is going to lose over this.

So, tell us what kind of antenna he bought. Was it one of those tiny indoor "digital" or "HDTV" antennas that haven't a prayer of picking up WXXA on channel 7?

If you are feeling adventurous, it's pretty easy to make your own antenna for a few Quatloos.



Just search on "diy hdtv antenna".