Allbritton Communications’ ABC affiliate in Charleston, S.C., says it hasn’t reached a retransmission consent deal with Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-verse, so after Dec. 31 the station will not be carried by their systems.
RETRANS WARS: DMA 98 (CHARLESTON, SC)
WCIV Says No Retrans Yet With TWC, AT&T
WCIV, Allbritton Communications’ ABC affiliate in Charleston, S.C. (DMA 98) today announced that despite prolonged negotiations, both Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-verse “are unwilling to carry the station past the end of its current contract.” If no deal is reached the current contract’s expiration on Dec. 31, WCIV will no longer be seen on either Time Warner Cable or AT&T U-verse effective Jan. 1, 2012.
“We are simply seeking a fair deal, which adequately values the award-winning news, sports, entertainment, weather and traffic programming that is paramount to our local viewers,” said Suzanne Teagle, WCIV president and general manager.
WCIV said its programming will remain available for viewers over the air, and this dispute will not affect customers of DirecTV, Dish Network, Comcast or Knology. “We have reached long-term agreements with every other major cable and satellite distributor,” Teagle said.
Comments (4)
Gregg Palermo says:
December 22, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Most of Charleston is Comcast or Knology or satellite, not TW. WCIV will lose Summerville to the north, where TW has the franchise.
Warren Harmon says:
December 22, 2011 at 5:53 pm
It’s all called GREED, I know these people at the satation, they are basically good people that have been cought up in the swell of the new wave, what was FREE OTA is now become a corrupt revenue stream via extraction from the viewers. One would think it was advantageous to have the station signal promulgated to a larger viewership. GREED – GREED – GREED.
Hope Yen and Charles Babington says:
December 23, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Viewers are starting to learn – slowly – that while it is necessary to subscribe to some form of satellite or cable to get most of their favorite programs – CNN, FoxSnooz, ESPN, History, etc., I believe Dish and Direct both charge a small extra fee for ‘local channels’, which can be avoided by using an antenna. An antenna allows viewers to ignore the BS of these last minute retrans deal gun-to-the-head threats, plus get a better picture! duh.
Brian Walshe says:
December 23, 2011 at 1:42 pm
If cable operators pay for non-broadcast signals that they re-distribute and charge consumers for, is it not fair for the broadcasters in your area to expect some reimbursement for allowing their signals to be re-distributed and charged for? Free, over the air reception is still an option for a lot of consumers.