Meet Melinda Witmer. She is the smart, hard-nosed lawyer who is behind Time Warner Cable efforts to pay broadcasters the least in retransmission consent fees and extract the most from other pay TV operators for TWC's regional sport networks in Los Angeles. Executives who have done business with Witmer say she stands out, negotiating like a courtroom trial prosecutor, quick to identify loopholes and potential snags. Her tactics have led to TWC being involved in more retrans blackout than any other cable operator. WSJ subscribers can read the full story here.
RETRANS
Comments (4)
mary lawrence says:
August 23, 2013 at 10:08 am
Ms. Witmer does not operate without direction from of her superiors.
Ellen Samrock says:
August 23, 2013 at 11:29 am
And because Ms. Witmer is so “smart” and her negotiating skills so “hard-nosed”, TWC is now hemorrhaging subscribers. Can you say “pyrrhic victory?”
Trudy Rubin says:
August 23, 2013 at 12:11 pm
It is not only the hard-nose negotiating of Ms. Witmer. But it TWC corporate sales approach that bleeding costumers. For example, TWC offers 3 tiers of internet, but the sales reps are not allow to offer those 3 tiers unless the customer request specific information about their tiers. Then TWC will offer the fastes tier for a year for a discount, but at the end of year their reps are still not allowed to offer other tiers, unless the costumers ask for the tiers. TWC as a corporation is very huge and very disconnected with the communities they serve. Which has cost them subscribers.
Scott Cote says:
August 23, 2013 at 3:30 pm
I don’t see any reason for the Wall Street Journal (or anyone else) to glamorize anyone in this case. Ms. Witmer is TW’s Exec. Vice President and Chief Video/Content Officer, who just happens to be an attorney, I believe.