TV Blackouts = No Solution

Yesterday, Time Warner Cable decided to blackout the channels hosted by Hearst TV.  Locally, this effected WMTW-TV channel 8 (the ABC affiliate in the Portland Maine area.  The problem with this is that is happened with ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING!!

Apparently, the local channel was either unaware of what was going to happen or else they thought that a solution would be found before the company’s owners went dark.  Both of these companies are pointing to the other in why contract negotiations broke down.  Each blame the corporate greed of the other as the reason for the problem.  Neither side seems willing to give in so it looks like the ABC shows along with local syndicated programs like “Access Hollywood” and “Jeopardy!” won’t be airing locally for some time.

It seems also that TWC doesn’t have any plans of bringing in another station into the area to air programs to replace the missing network programs.  Yet, TWC won’t give refunds for time lost due to the missing channel.

It seems like every year some station ends up in this mess and at the last minute (or slightly later), the station resumes like nothing really happened.  It just becomes a HUGE unnecessary inconvenience.

Don’t think, however, that satellite television is the solution as it was just reported today that DIRECTV has put the Viacom channels in the dark.  For those who don’t know what the Viacom channels are, they are stations like MTV, Nickelodeon, and all their associated off springs. 

So here we have 4 companies all finger-pointing as being greedy companies and dead-locked to bringing their respective programming back to their respective providers.  Ironically with all the millions of dollars that all these companies make that they would quibble over such contracts.

Sort of reminds me of a certain office supply company who decided that a certain employee wasn’t worth keeping because that person was too expensive to keep.  Unfortunately, there was no negotiations with them and thus I ended up on the street.  Too bad, we all could toss all these greedy providers and channel owners to the curb as well.