DirecTV Loses 18 Channels in Yet Another Carriage Fee Fight If you thought annoying TV carriage fee disputes and the accompanying programming blackouts were annoying in 2016, it's clear 2017 is prepared to raise the bar. DirecTV customers note that the company lost access to 18 local channels this week after the AT&T-owned company couldn't come to a new programming agreement with the News-Press & Gazette. As is always the case with these disputes, each side is blaming the other for their collective failure to behave like adults and get new deals struck without holding consumers hostage.

The News-Press & Gazette has launched a website claiming that DirecTV has a "history of behaving badly," and informs visitors that users are" not being told the whole story by DIRECTV." "It is our preference that our viewers never have to get involved," claims the company's FAQ. "But when cable companies refuse to reach fair deals with local TV stations it threatens the entire community." AT&T owner DirecTV, in contrast, has issued a statement of its own, blaming News-Press & Gazette in turn. "News-Press & Gazette has suspended its stations from our customers and threatened others before so we appreciate our DIRECTV customers' patience as we work to resolve this matter quickly and reasonably," AT&T says. "News-Press & Gazette is preventing its local signals from reaching those same homes in 10 different cities unless News-Press & Gazette receives a significant increase in fees just to allow those families to watch shows available for free over-the-air (antenna) and that the broadcast networks typically make available for free online and through new digital apps," laments AT&T. We've already seen a record-breaking pace for such feuds in 2017, as more and more cable companies become unwilling to erode their TV profit margins any further. Consumers of course are the most annoyed at the fact that they keep paying more and more money for the same or less content. Of course if this plays out like most disputes of this kind, the two sides will strike a new confidential deal, then pass on the higher costs directly to consumers, without any end user getting a refund for losing out on content they're paying for. Then company executives will shrug stupidly and wonder why a rising number of pay TV customers are choosing to cut the cord entirely. Interested users can find a list of impacted stations here.







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Most recommended from 33 comments



MDA

Auto Negotiating

Premium Member

join:2013-09-10

Minneapolis, MN 7 recommendations MDA Premium Member Remember, Cord-cutting is all smoke and mirrors.

maartena

Elmo

Premium Member

join:2002-05-10

Orange, CA 6 recommendations maartena Premium Member Cable prices at a breaking point.... I am seeing it everywhere now. Not just here, but very much so on local facebook groups for my city.... people complaining about the high price of cable, and wondering if there are alternatives. People like me of course happily explain how cutting the cord works and what the benefits and disadvantages are.....And I think the cable companies are starting to realize they can't just keep on increasing their rates, so they are going to have to fight harder with the channel owners to get a deal.



There will of course be price increases, and those still subscribing to television will have to bend over once more when the next price increase gets announced..... but until the cable companies drastically alter their way of doing business, such as telling the channel owners that they are no longer taking on bundles of channels, only the few channels they know their customers are going to want.... we'll just see more price hikes.



So, prepare once more to bend over and get raped by the channel owners and the cable companies. In this case, for channels you can also get for free using an antenna.....

karpodiem

Hail to The Victors

Premium Member

join:2008-05-20

Troy, MI 5 recommendations karpodiem Premium Member Speaking of record How many people will switch from cable tv to one of the various $35-40 bundles this year?



My guess - 3 to 4 million.