Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 02 > Entry
Veep debate …. KXAN update
A couple of big reminders, as if you need them, for tonight:
The one and only vice presidential debate is tonight at 8. PBS’s Gwen Ifill, who broke her ankle Monday while carrying all of her research material, will moderate.
Some conservative radio hosts started tossing rocks at Ifill yesterday over a book she’s been working on for about a year tracing the evolution of black politicians in America.
As you might imagine (given the timing), this is nothing but noise. Republicans knew about the book when the Presidential Debate Commission proposed Ifill as the moderator several months ago, and they signed off on her. Yesterday John McCain said he was certain she would do a fine job because “she’s an objective professional.”
This smackdown promises to be a bigger ratings grabber than the presidential debates.
Gov. Sarah Palin, who remains something of a mystery, will stand toe to toe with Sen. Joe Biden. Will Palin hold up under 90 minutes of national scrutiny? Will Biden stick his foot in his mouth? Will they look at each other? Will the two of them shake hands or hug when it’s all over?
We’ll soon find out. The veep debate can be seen on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox Broadcasting, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN and C-SPAN.
KXAN likely to drop off Time Warner Cable tonight
Remember, if you’re watching NBC programming tonight at midnight and the picture suddenly goes dark, it’s not your television. Don’t leap up and start beating your brand new HDTV.
NBC affiliate KXAN, which is owned by LIN TV, has been negotiating a retransmission agreement with Time Warner Cable for several weeks. It hasn’t gone well, and apparently the two sides are at an impasse.
KXAN and LIN want the cable company to pay (less than a penny a day per subscriber) for retransmission; Time Warner argues that KXAN’s signal is free, over-the-air to customers and therefore should be free to subscribers.
The existing contract expires tonight at midnight, and it is likely that KXAN will be dropped from Time Warner until an agreement is reached.
Remember, you can watch NBC shows online (nbc.com), on a TV that’s off cable (with an antenna), on any of the satellite services (Dish, DirecTV), AT&T’s U-verse or on some of the smaller cable companies that might be available in your area (Grande to the south, Suddenlink to the north).
By the way, KNVA, which operates under a licensing agreement with KXAN, is NOT affected. KNVA’s programming of CW and MyNetwork shows will continue. Those are separate agreements with the cable company, so KNVA (Cable Channel 12) stays on Time Warner.
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By Barbara Watts
October 12, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
After losing KXAN broadcast, we were about to switch our service from Time Warner to another provider when a friend shared another solution. He told us to purchase an HD antennae (a small white box rather than the old rabbit ears) and connect it to our HD TV. Ours cost $29.95 but they are available in several prices. We bought the antennae and spent about 20 minutes setting it up. We are receiving the signal for KXAN from the antennae and other programs from Time Warner Cable service. There is a toggle switch on our remote control that knows how to switch back and forth. It works great. Please tell your readers. Apparently a lot of people are already onto this solution because Best Buy told me they were really selling these antennae.
By J
October 4, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
THE SOLUTION: Call AT&T at 800-246-3279 (opt.3), REF CODE JP790U bundle your services for lower prices, and enjoy U-Verse; JD Power and Associates #1 Rated television service TODAY
By big dawg
October 2, 2008 11:57 PM | Link to this
LOL, I'm sure Michelle Valles is having a good laugh about this...
By JW
October 2, 2008 11:16 PM | Link to this
KXAN is free. If you have rabbit ears or a sweet old school aerial antenna towering over your roof you can get KXAN for free, as well as KVUE, KEYE, Fox Austin, The CW and several other stations. So as I see it TWC takes those FREE signals and charges us to see them. I want to be a cable company! What a easy way to make a profit. Money for nothing. If TWC is going to profit from airing FREE stations then it's only right they pay something. The satellite companies already pay a small fee, that's why they are able to offer local stations on their subscription plans these days. Less than a penny a day per subscriber? TWC pays ESPN over $2 per subscriber. And when TWC says they HAVE to pass KXAN's so called greed to the customer, that's wrong! Why do they have to? The satellite companies are already paying the local stations and their subscription rates are far less than the almighty Time Warner Cable. Research all of this. It's all true.
By DKF9
October 2, 2008 10:42 PM | Link to this
I think my wife would probably be more uspset over losing soap operas to watch than anything. We have given up watching local news since all the stations are pretty awful newscasts (all the local stations weather segments are way to long, repetitive and over detailed). Oh well, there is always NBC.com or some local bar when Dallas plays Sunday night.
I'd like to say I would miss you but I don't really care KXAN.
By Rescue-mania
October 2, 2008 10:33 PM | Link to this
Bail them out! Everyone should pay $2000 each to TWC and KXAN to bail them out and make sure they are rescued. They should not be held responsible for bad business decisions. Bailout!!
By cl
October 2, 2008 10:17 PM | Link to this
If Time Warner needs to pay LIN for their "free" signal, then LIN should compensate Time Warner for the advertising that they earn off the households in Austin that Time Warner reaches. Bottom line....LIN is out of line, which is why they have had this same problem in other markets.
By liz
October 2, 2008 9:27 PM | Link to this
We went through this earlier this year when Suddenlink took KXAN off the air too...we cancelled their crappy service and signed up with AT&T U-verse...best thing we could have ever done....I also want my NBC..and having a cable company dictate what i can and can't watch is not something i think i need to put up with..
By austinights
October 2, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this
Basically, this is a contractual conflict between two business ******, so the public doesn't get a seat at the negotiation table. But, you do have power in the choice of subscribing to TWC or viewing the advertisement and program available on NBC. How much you want to bet that the network will be aired by the time football kicks off on the weekend. If not, then you have the one power that is really strong - the remote control....CLICK!
By keith
October 2, 2008 8:37 PM | Link to this
damn you people are dense....this NOT TWC's fault - it is KXAN being greedy and wanting money for something they get for free - why they hell should someone pay someone for something that the other person already gets for free....I don't think the FCC gave LIN the frequency so they could turn around and charge for it - yeah TWC sucks, but for once they actually are right and I applaud them for actually standing up to LIN and saying we won't pay you for something that you get for free - that's just throwing money away
By ATXDwntwner
October 2, 2008 8:22 PM | Link to this
Once again...Time Warner cannot bring in another NBC station to Austin. LIN and KXAN have negotiated with everybody else except Time Warner. And...if you think other stations won't be doing the same thing you are fooling yourselves.
KXAN makes money from advertisers, sure...but it costs money to produce programming and buy programming that Time Warner is charging you for and not paying KXAN for it!
If you'd like all those cable channels you never watch that have commercials anyway and can live without NBC then good luck.
Me? I've already cancelled Time Warner and let them know that until they get NBC back I won't be back.
I WANT MY NBC!!!
By Jeff
October 2, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this
I feel strongly both ways.
By Bruce
October 2, 2008 7:00 PM | Link to this
Once again I am so glad Grande Communications is in my neighborhood. Near zero down time in the year I've had it, and none of the pixelation problems that I constantly had with TWC.
I also thought some bill had passed awhile back requiring cable companies to carry local signals. Obviously not, or there just aren't enough cable cops to go around.
By Patty B
October 2, 2008 6:55 PM | Link to this
Here's the thing, you can go to Dish or DirecTV or ATT if you want, but they all have the same negotiations and the same problem will occur. Frankly, I think TW will find some other NBC channel to show subscribers temporarily and then it's Lin who loses. I don't watch the local programming on that channel anyway, so other than a couple of network shows, I don't think any of us will miss much.
By Dean
October 2, 2008 6:48 PM | Link to this
Doesn't KXAN stand to lose a significant amount of advertising revenue? I thought I read the other day that 48% of Austin TVs are hooked up to TWC. I would think that advertisers would expect a sharp decrease in their rates when half of the market wouldn't see their ads. Am I totally off base with this?
By Jason
October 2, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
I'm with you Tim S. TWC does s--k!!! I have friends that get the same TWC service I get and they also pay way less!! I told them wait til that contract runs out, the new price will hit you hard!!
By J-Dub
October 2, 2008 4:25 PM | Link to this
A little free advertising here... We have AT&T U-verse and we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!! Yesterday they made it to where we can DVR a program on one t.v. and watch it from any other t.v. in the house. AWESOME!
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with AT&T nor am I profiting off of this posting. Just wanted to spread a little U-verse love!
By Jonn
October 2, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this
If Time Warner makes money from retransmission of local UHF stations (it does - ultra basic cable is not free) then it is reasonable for the content providers to ask for a cut of the money. My understanding was that cable providers are required by the FCC to carry local stations and to not encrypt them in any way but I could be wrong. I use rabbit ears to get full HD locals and basic analog cable for the rest. If you haven't got your $40 coupon get it now before they run out!
By Bob
October 2, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
I don't sympathize with TWC or LIN (remember it's LIN and not KXAN that is making deals). However, if cable channel 4 is dropped off the air I want all TWC subscribers to join me in calling TWC for a credit. Since there will be fewer programs broadcast by TWC there should be some restitution to subscribers right? I'm not holding my breath since we already lost channel 44 and 51 without any change in billing. But it's worth a try. Light up the TWC switchboard tomorrow.
By Tim S.
October 2, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this
Two words about Time Warner..THEY S--K!
By Jason
October 2, 2008 3:26 PM | Link to this
Time Warner already charges customers for the NBC station, If you were to get the basic and I mean BASIC 20 or 25 channel plan!! Trust me! They charge you for it, and it is way more than a penny a day!! If it were free TWC would offer a plan that was completely free!! GOOD for you KXAN, Time Warner Cable is a Joke and they are way more greedy than LIN is any day!!
By Tim S.
October 2, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this
Plain and simple both KXAN & Time Warner are screwing the public. Time to give DISH or AT&T a call. I know new customers that get the same servive I have for 1/2 what I pay for the 1st year.
By Tim S.
October 2, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this
Time Warner is over priced and delivers poor quality signals(pixelization freeze ups) even though they deny it. They are offering new customers service for a year at 1/2 what I pay and I have been with them a long time. I think it is time to give AT&T a call!
By Tim S.
October 2, 2008 3:13 PM | Link to this
Time Warner is over priced, they have more down time, if you put the many times a week that service is interrupted for a hour or so(evidently that doesn't count)and they continue to have pixilzation freeze ups(even though they deny it). They seem to charge their customers who have been with them for years more than they do new customers(a friend got the same service as I have for 1/2 what I pay for a year). It is time to give AT&T a call.
By Gus Gonzales
October 2, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this
Time Warner's greed and avarice knows no bounds; not that LIN and KXAN are angels - both are simply trying to hold the bottom line.
But Time Warner's track record in this area is horrible - they've always taken the "all or nothing" approach as they did last year with the NFL Network matter.
I subscribe to Time Warner and their service has been decent - I get what I pay for - but they are far from competitive. I hope the Legislature knocks them down a notch by opening up the playing field to larger cable operators like Comcast.
Let Comcast and others come into town and start slugging it out with Time Warner in true "let the market decide" fashion, as opposed to Time Warner rigging the field through the slick efforts of their top dollar hired-gun lobbyists. Then, perhaps, we'd get better service and better options. If Comcast was in town offering KXAN I seriously doubt Time Warner would be taking this hard of a stance.
And why the heck doesn't Time Warner carry Cartoon Network in HD when DirectTV does? Go figure.
By Jeff Simmermon
October 2, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
Before I get started, I should tell you that I'm the director of digital communications for Time Warner Cable.
That said, way to include the LIN TV talking point about the "penny per day per subscriber." You make it sound like a sum that could fall between the couch cushions. If this were such a trivial little bit of money, why is your parent company making such a big deal out of it?
The reporting on this issue by the LIN affiliates has been beyond biased, and it's a negotiation tactic meant to get the public scared. I have to disclose that I'm a corporate shill, but when "journalists" do it, it's just embarassing.
By JLC
October 2, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
You are correct, I could easily hook my laptop up to my HDTV but the shows online are not in HD, or 5.1 surround. I spent a lot of money to have those features and I am not about to go back to the old way of watching my shows (especially for action-packed shows like Heroes). I will be buying an HD antenna and seeing how well that works. I have a friend who only has an outdoor HD antenna and the picture is perfect. If they get it resolved within 30 days, I can always take it back to best buy.
By Tim
October 2, 2008 2:30 PM | Link to this
Of all the station owners I know of, LIN is the greediest by far. When you look at the list of cable and satellite companies struggling to reach agreements with station owners, LIN-owned stations are way overrepresented in the list.
The best thing that could happen for the Austin television market and its viewers is for LIN to abandon it.
No love lost here for Big Cable, either. I suspect they are charging more for over-the-air locals than LIN and others are asking for. A pox on both of them. It's impossible to be sympathetic to either.
By Lacey
October 2, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this
The issue at hand isn't whether or not either campaign knew she was writing the book, the issues is she didn't tell the Presidential Debates Commission she was writing the book. Here is a quote from an ap story, "The host of PBS' "Washington Week" and senior correspondent on "The NewsHour" said she did not tell the Commission on Presidential Debates about the book."
She failed to disclose she was writing a pro-Obama book. The question should be, why can't we find more balanced moderators rather than being partisan?
By norm
October 2, 2008 12:56 PM | Link to this
KXAN is a UHF station. They should be paying the cable company to carry their signal.
By owl
October 2, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this
Who cares, with Michelle gone there is no reason to watch KXAN anyway. Good riddance.
By keith
October 2, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this
KXAN needs to just quit being greedy....they get it for free from the feds so why should anyone have to pay for it. That's akin to saying that we have to pay for the air we breathe.....but whats the point of watching TV on your computer....people still want to sit down on their comfy couch and watch their shows, not in a desk chair srunched over watching the show on a 17" monitor
By Mitchell
October 2, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this
Good for KXAN... Time Warner is money grubbing overpriced piece of crap company!
By Molecule
October 2, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this
I don't beleive many folks will be watching kxan news for awhile. i wonder how much ad revenue KXAN will lose over this? probably more than a penny a day.
By Joe
October 2, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this
It would probably be a much bigger deal if NBC didn't offer almost all of their shows online for free. Those fancy new HDTVs are pretty easily hooked up to a computer for a full screen viewing of the shows... even older tube tvs can be hooked up with a pretty simple adaptor from Radio Shack.
I'm sorry KXAN/LIN is struggling to find enough money to stay afloat, but they've operated for how long now without the $.01 per subscriber fee? Seems to me they need to step back and look at their business plan and see where they can cut some of the costs in house.
By David Ray
October 2, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
So who should the viewers be nore upset with? Lin-TV or Time Warner Cable? Or both? It's time to switch to either Dish or Direct-TV.
By SL
October 2, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
Bye bye KXAN! I am glad to know that the CW will still be on the air! I don't know what I would do if I couldn't watch "Smallville" any longer! As for KXAN, I can watch "Knight Rider" online. However, I will miss "Wheel of Fortune." I won't miss Jim Spencer's inaccurate forecasting! I am not going to drop Time Warner just because some measly tv station wants more money. I am willing to lose KXAN! AT&T U-Verse, Direct TV and DishNetwork are not worth the money or effort for just one station! No thanks!
By Uwe
October 2, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
If KNVA has a different agreement, why doesn't TW carry KNVA in HD? Or does LIN want *even* more money for that?
Amazon offered free downloads of some NBC TV shows as well, including the premier episode of "Chuck" a full week before it was broadcast.
By Sarah H.
October 2, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the update re: the CW. I thought they were included in the disagreement since they, too, have been running anti-Time Warner advertisements.