Roll Over or Get Tough « Time Warner Cable Untangled

Jul 13 2010

Roll Over or Get Tough

You’ve probably heard about the unpleasant disagreements between cable companies and broadcast networks. It’s an ugly situation that puts customers right in the middle, and we don’t like it any more than you do.

From Ars Technica, referring to our submission to the FCC on March 9th, 2010:

“As broadcasters now demand significant cash for carriage of their signals, consumers are held hostage as MVPDs must choose between a rock and a hard place: pay spiraling carriage fees and raise consumer rates, or be forced by broadcasters to drop local signals,” TWC wrote to the FCC in March.

“The recurring threats of blackouts, high-stakes public ‘showdown’ negotiations, and recent economic analyses have all confirmed what programming distributors have known for years: the retransmission consent regime is broken.”

What’s notable about this plea is that it’s supported by several public interest groups that are often at odds with Time Warner on issues like net neutrality: Public Knowledge and the New America Foundation. Verizon, DirecTV, and the American Cable Association also signed the letter.

This isn’t just something specific to Time Warner Cable. AT&T’s having their own trouble, and Cablevision had problems during this year’s Oscars.

We’re relaunching our Roll Over or Get Tough website today in order to keep cable customers informed about retransmission consent issues. We want you to understand the situation and know what’s going on behind the scenes. And we want to be as transparent as possible about how the TV business works.

But most of all, we want to hear from you. Late last year, we launched this website and asked for your input. In just six weeks, the website had over one million unique visitors. Commenters on our website overwhelmingly told us to “get tough” in a particularly difficult round of negotiations.

We listened and we got tough. And together, we were able to reach far better agreements than would have otherwise been possible. Thank you for making sure your voice was heard.

This site is for you — our customers. We are working hard to understand your concerns. The content on this site is meant to answer your questions, and let you know what’s really going on behind the scenes in the television business.

Education is the best solution to this problem. We’re confident that once you really understand how this business works and see what’s at stake, you’ll understand our point of view.

You can join the discussion yourself and let us know what’s on your mind this time around, too. We’re not afraid to take a little heat when we’ve earned it, so let it loose. And as always, you can leave your comments in our comments section, too. We’ll be listening.

Categories: What's New

68 Comments »

68 Responses to “Roll Over or Get Tough”

Steve
Sep 20, 2010
at 6:32 pm

Time Warner needs to get a deal with the NFL Network so that we aren’t the only cable viewers in the country that don’t get this network.

I’m this close to bailing on these fools and going with DirecTV
Scott
Oct 05, 2010
at 9:48 am

Time warner waited too long. Im switching over tomorrow. In the end it turns out i will save $ plus get the nfl network. Why did i wait so long?
cedric moore
Oct 18, 2010
at 1:31 pm

We need the NFL network!! I will pay for it, please!!! Stop arguig, the NFL is the US’s biggest sporting org., you can’t win!
Morris
Oct 26, 2010
at 8:08 pm

I love the NFL and would like it on Time Warner. However, I am not willing to pay a higher cable bill. I work for my family not for higher cable bills to watch football, I can always go to espn to get football news.
Marcus
Nov 02, 2010
at 12:03 pm

Please give us NFL Network before the Jets Thanksgiving game.
dread pirate roberts
Nov 03, 2010
at 8:31 am

Red Zone Red Zone Red Zone!!!!
Ryan
Nov 09, 2010
at 8:46 am

Unreal, How can this cable station, that just posted a huge profit, and charges outrageous monthly rates not have NFL. network. I can not wait for the day when the monopoly of TWC ends in my area so I can get rid of this ridiculous “provider”..
dread pirate roberts
Nov 10, 2010
at 8:21 am

@Ryan, I am so tired of poeple saying it’s a monopoly! There are multiple options, so quit your whining, call /DISH/DTV/UVERSE, set up an appointment and MOVE ON! I too want NFL Network. The NFL wants the channel in the Std lineup and TWC won’t give up one of those spots, they raise revunes and are already mandated by contracts. I WANT TWC to add NFL Network in the sports package!! I WISH they would get that done this season, but I think NFL Network won’t budge on this. Although, TWC moved Style to digital which opens up a stream, so it’s doable, but won’t get done…again…!! I could switch, but I’m not going to just for one channel.
dread pirate roberts
Nov 10, 2010
at 8:47 am

@Ryan, what does posting a profit have to do with anything? You against an american company making money or are you the kind to think they need to redistribute the profits to the customers, like customer profit sharing??? It’s GOOD we make $$!! Good for the economy, the country as a whole and any 401K fund that YOU may have that has TWC stock.
Kyle
Nov 11, 2010
at 11:04 pm

We NEED NFL NETWORK. Please football is my favorite game to watch and I am going to miss all the Thursday games. Can you guys not come to some agreement you have had like 7 years or something like that.
dread pirate roberts
Nov 12, 2010
at 7:42 am

Thanks for letting me see the game last night!! That’s what I told my neighbor who has U-Verse when I left his house last night after the game!! Thanks TWC!!!
Todd
Nov 12, 2010
at 9:42 am

just charge the people that want it. I will pay an extra $2 a month for it and I am sure more will too. That way the non football who don’t want it don’t pay for it. Once football is over I can cancel it, but who am I kidding. A chance to watch football all year for $2 a month. Sounds like a good ida
dread pirate roberts
Nov 15, 2010
at 11:49 am

@Todd, it’s the Red Zone that we need!! I’d pay a monthly subscription fee of 6.99/mo for this channel!!
Carol Etterling
Dec 17, 2010
at 11:11 am

I think it is a shame that WE, the customers, pay the amount that we are required to pay for the services of Cable T.V., and are still going to lose two of the most watched channels with our service!! It’s appalling that Time Warner cannot come to an agreement to pay the small amount it is required to pay, to keep these channels for their customers. Especially since we are constantly out of service for days (at times) while they are trying to figure out where to fix the service “first”…or we get disconnected! Also~between the Customer Service Dept., the technicians, and the pay locations..they can’t seem to be on the same page when it comes to a customer being “safe” from disconnection, when they have to make a partial payment (in these tough times), yet, it happens anyway. At times..the VERY NEXT DAY! And get charged, once it is brought to TW attention of the miscommunication, for their service to be turned on by the click of a button! And T.W. decides to not pay the small fee to keep us happy!?!?! For THIS customer…Dish Network is looking better & better for MY CHOICE..for 2011. I’m just saying.
dread pirate roberts
Dec 22, 2010
at 11:58 am

You haven’t lost your channels. Why don’t you hold your whine until then?
Jack
Dec 23, 2010
at 3:13 am

Remember that Dish and U-Verse are NOT immune from Retransmission Consent Contracts! Even if you switch, you could face the same issues over channels when they are up for renewal.

Keep in mind the U-Verse relies on the quality of the phone lines for service. Dish needs clear reception, obstructed from trees. Oh, and after your promotional rates expire, unlike TWC, where it is very easy to negotiate a new deal for another 1-2 years, it is very difficult to get new discount rates with Dish or U-Verse, once the promotional rates expire. We have never had a problem getting discounted rates from TWC.

The companies, whether it be cable, Dish, or U-Verse, will negotiate successfully for hundreds of stations at a fair price. It is only in isolated instances that stations are dropped, in which case you can still use an OTA antenna or get most content on-line.

Carol, what stations are up for retransmission consent in your area? I wouldn’t be too concerned about it unless there is no deal come New Years Day.. If you are unhappy with your service, you have the right to switch, BUT there is absolutely no certainty that things will be better (or worse) with another provider. Every second party TV vendor has to go through Retransmission consent, unfortunately.

However, I agree with you that Customers should not be pawns in the political game between the feuding companies. Stations should be allowed to stay on while the parties involved work out a new deal.

Jack
Robert Cuffney
Jan 01, 2011
at 10:33 pm

Keep Fox Rochester local broadcasting!
Marc
Aug 02, 2011
at 6:02 pm

TWC absolutely sucks compared to it’s competitiion. If cable companies didn’t have monopolies on certain areas, they would be out of business–it’s that simple.