| On Wednesday I wrote about the ongoing disagreement between KXAN and Time Warner on retransmission and broadcast rights. In the article, I quoted Eric Lassberg, General Manager of KXAN extensively from other sites. However, I wasn't able to get a hold of a public information representative, communications director, or spokesperson for Time Warner at the time. Since writing the piece, Jeff Simmermon, Director of Digital Communications was gracious enough to reach out and tell Time Warner's side of the story.
First some updates.
Most of you realize now that KXAN is no longer on Time Warner. The channel was removed Thursday night/ Friday Morning at midnight. Immediately, Time Warner replaced the channel with a looping commercial promoting their new site thetruthhurtskxan.com.
Simmermon summed up the final hours of the negotiation with me.
Last night, we were negotiating pretty well with LIN TV. Or so we thought. We offered to work through the night to reach an agreement, and they refused, despite acknowledging progress in the negotiations. All we wanted was a short extension so we could complete the negotiations, but LIN TV preferred to pull the signal off the air, in a blatant disregard for their own viewers and advertisers.
On Wednesday I pointed out that a similar situation happened in Williamson County. When Williamson County lost KXAN from January until March until Suddenlink picked up the signal from Temple. That's not a solution in this situation. Simmermon pointed out a crucial difference.
As much as we would like to substitute another station's feed for KXAN's, it is currently illegal for us to do that.
In other words, these two groups must negotiated a settlement or Time Warner subscribers will continue to miss out on the local NBC affiliate.
In addition to talking with us, Simmermon also took some time to talk with the Austinist about the negotiations.
Please explain why TWC believes that KXAN's programming is free and therefore not worth the "less than a penny per day per subscriber" that has been asked for.
Anyone with an antenna can plug it into their TV and see KXAN without spending a single red cent. We're the ones who take that signal, clarify it tomake the picture reliable and amplify it to reach many, many more people than KXAN could reach without us. Furthermore, Hulu.com and NBC.com show NBC's must-see programming like 30 Rock and The Office for free online. It's Bizarro-world economics to charge money for something that's available for free. Not unlike setting up a tent in one's backyard, charging admission and calling it an "oxygen booth."
Will TWC take KXAN's feed off of TWC's broadcast service tonight, as everyone has stated? If so, who is (physically) initiating the actual break?
By now this question has partially answered itself. But make no mistake: we did not take KXAN off the air. That was LIN's decision, not ours. Last night, we were negotiating pretty well with LIN TV. Or so we thought. We offered to work through the night to reach an agreement and they refused, despite acknowledging progress in the negotiations. All we wanted was a short extension so we could complete the negotiations, but LIN TV preferred to pull the signal off the air in a blatant disregard for their own viewers and advertisers.
On face this is a lose lose situation. KXAN is losing advertising revenues, which is the revenue model for broadcast satiations, and Time Warner may start seeing people peel off to other cable providers, weakening its market share.
The general sentiment appears to be a "plague on both their houses". What's your opinion? |
