Fargo, ND may lose CBS network

[EVAC41]

I just saw in my paper that Fargo might lose KXJB channel which carries the CBS network if an agreement cannot be reached by midnight tonight. So I hope and pray they reach an agreement and the channel can say on the air.

[garn9173]

I just saw in my paper that Fargo might lose KXJB channel which carries the CBS network if an agreement cannot be reached by midnight tonight. So I hope and pray they reach an agreement and the channel can say on the air.

Are we just talking about a lack of a contract between D* and the owners of the Fargo CBS or something else?

The way it's worded, you make it sound like it's between the TV station and CBS itself :confused:

[fluffybear]

Are we just talking about a lack of a contract between D* and the owners of the Fargo CBS or something else?

The way it's worded, you make it sound like it's between the TV station and CBS itself :confused:


This is a rentrans dispute between KXJB and DirecTV

full article:
http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/227025

[spedinfargo]

This is a rentrans dispute between KXJB and DirecTV

full article:
http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/227025

For the love of GOD, one of the reasons I switched from CableOne to DirecTV was because CableOne didn't have CBS and NBC in high-def for the longest time.

Sure enough - the same WEEK I switched they got CBS and NBC back again...

Now I might lose my standard-def CBS station AFTER I switch?

That would suck indeed...

(as if the killing of the Media Center integration wasn't bad enough...)

[EVAC41]

For the love of GOD, one of the reasons I switched from CableOne to DirecTV was because CableOne didn't have CBS and NBC in high-def for the longest time.

Sure enough - the same WEEK I switched they got CBS and NBC back again...

Now I might lose my standard-def CBS station AFTER I switch?

That would suck indeed...

(as if the killing of the Media Center integration wasn't bad enough...)

Amen to that!!!

[wilsonc]

I think its funny that the article quoted above basically makes it D* fault by how it mentions the problem with KJZZ in Utah.

[PressureContent]

And I guess that was your accomplice in the woodchipper.

[jf58078]

I think it's a little fishy. The problem being that Fargo's NBC and CBS affiliates are actually owned by the same company -- even airing the exact same local news broadcasts on both. My opinion is that they (owners of local affiliates) are now exercising their monopoly on the local TV market to railroad first the local cable company and now DirecTV.

When it happened last year with the local cable company (Cableone) I was quick to assume it was Cableone that bore the large portion of the blame. Now that it's looking like the same scenario, except with DirecTV this time, I'm re-evaluating who's the real stinker here.

Of course, when the local stations merged, there was all the grandstanding and assurances about how great this was going to be for everyone involved. The only one I think it benefits is the parent company that owns them both. Now sticking it to everyone they can simply because they can.

I realize it doesn't change much, but I've personally started watching ABC's local news since their monopoly was formed and I'd encourage all area viewers to do the same. Or the local Fox.

Okay, incoherent rant over. Thanks for your time. Move along...

[EVAC41]

UPDATE - New News story and Video:

Still no agreement has been made.. Here is the news story I found today

Link - News Story:
http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/227143

Video:
http://www.valleynewslive-ondemand.com/video/managers_mailbag/vnl_managers_mailbag_january_7_2009.shtml

[urnote96]

what i find funny is that KXJB (CBS) and KVLY (NBC) are both owned and operated by the same company...KINDA wierd that one channel will get the contract but not the other....

Why wont KXJB let directv just let it air during the process like they said they would do but KXJB said NO...


I blame it on KXJB...not DIRECTV

[c152driver]

I tend to always side with the cable / satellite company in these cases.

What floors me is that these broadcast stations are holding the pay TV providers over a barrel for retransmission fees when the pay TV providers are actually doing the broadcasters a favor by delivering their advertising supported programming to a larger number of eyeballs. My parents get KXJB via DirecTV and they can't get it OTA ever since KXJB got rid of their nearest repeater. (It's a large geographical area DMA and they are on the fringe).

The economics of local broadcast stations are pretty broken these days with the Internet taking away a lot of viewers and an advertising downturn on top of that. They seem to be looking for extra revenue wherever they can find it. Seems like cutting off their nose to spite their face to me.

[EVAC41]

Station just went off the air

[Mark Holtz]

Are you SURE this is DirecTV and not Dish Network? After all, Dish Network is always pulling stations and channels when they have a contract dispute, and DirecTV never does that. :) :) :)

[James Long]

Are you SURE this is DirecTV and not Dish Network? After all, Dish Network is always pulling stations and channels when they have a contract dispute, and DirecTV never does that. :) :) :)I was about to say the same thing. :D

Sorry for your loss, for those in Fargo.

[DodgerKing]

Are you SURE this is DirecTV and not Dish Network? After all, Dish Network is always pulling stations and channels when they have a contract dispute, and DirecTV never does that. :) :) :)

Besides this, can you think of another instance in which this has happened? How about at a national level?

[tftc22]

Besides this, can you think of another instance in which this has happened? How about at a national level?On a national level, the only channel I can think of that was pulled by Directv over a contract dispute was Lifetime Real Women.

[EVAC41]

Are you SURE this is DirecTV and not Dish Network? After all, Dish Network is always pulling stations and channels when they have a contract dispute, and DirecTV never does that. :) :) :)

Yep it's DirecTV... The guide says ""This station is no longer available".. I wonder what the heck is going to happen now.. Will D* let us see the CBSE(380) and CBSW(381)... Probabily not :bang

[EVAC41]

I was about to say the same thing. :D

Sorry for your loss, for those in Fargo.

Thanks James!!!

[lwilli201]

what i find funny is that KXJB (CBS) and KVLY (NBC) are both owned and operated by the same company...KINDA wierd that one channel will get the contract but not the other....

I blame it on KXJB...not DIRECTV

I do not think it is weird. Because no one watches NBC they do not want to run off the advertisers they have. The big club is the #1 CBS prime time lineup. Since the news is on both they will not lose their dedicated news audience and their ad revenue should not suffer much on the news shows and that is where a large part of their revenue comes from.

[spedinfargo]

I do not think it is weird. Because no one watches NBC they do not want to run off the advertisers they have. The big club is the #1 CBS prime time lineup. Since the news is on both they will not lose their dedicated news audience and their ad revenue should not suffer much on the news shows and that is where a large part of their revenue comes from.

Speculation on another thread was that the DirecTV contracts were signed separately by KVLY and KXJB before they merged and bought by Hoake. Which means we might have the same thing to look forward to whenever the NBC contract is on too...

As my wife likes to say though: 'speculation alert'

[dettxw]

As a former Grand Forks (included in Fargo DMA) resident I feel for you guys caught in the middle of this.

Seeing this thread made me look through CBS' schedule for the next week and it's almost funny, I'll not be watching a single CBS prime time show! I do prefer the local CBS news though.

If I was still in The Forks I'd be watching WDAZ news so no loss there with the lack of CBS news, and sounds like the CBS Fargo news is combined with the NBC news anyway.

CBS has that huge tower between The Forks & Fargo. How far away do you have to be before you can't pick it up OTA?

[spedinfargo]

As a former Grand Forks (included in Fargo DMA) resident I feel for you guys caught in the middle of this.

Seeing this thread made me look through CBS' schedule for the next week and it's almost funny, I'll not be watching a single CBS prime time show! I do prefer the local CBS news though.

If I was still in The Forks I'd be watching WDAZ news so no loss there with the lack of CBS news, and sounds like the CBS Fargo news is combined with the NBC news anyway.

CBS has that huge tower between The Forks & Fargo. How far away do you have to be before you can't pick it up OTA?

I'm lucky enough to have a roof-top antenna that does OK with CBS and NBC - I never got around to picking up an AM-21 yet, though and I have problems getting all four main networks (seems that if I point the antenna in a way to get Fox then I have problems with the other three). I'm definitely not going to be up on the roof anytime soon to play around with it either...

We watch so little network TV (esp. CBS) and I'm not a huge NFL fan so it's not a huge deal for me, but I'm really sick of this crap...

[EVAC41]

Here is what was put out as of last night:

http://www.valleynewslive.tv/info/directv.shtml

Video:
http://www.valleynewslive-ondemand.com/video/managers_mailbag/vnl_managers_mailbag_january_8_2009.shtml

I hope they come to an agreement soon. We should have our locals dropped to $4.50 per month but I dont think that is going to happen :nono2:... So I must be dreaming...:new_sleep

[Satelliteracer]

http://directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageNR.jsp?assetId=P5370020

[EVAC41]

http://directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageNR.jsp?assetId=P5370020

Thanks Satelliteracer!! You must have been reading my mind :icon_lol: I was just doing to put a post in about d* letter and give that link..

[Mark Holtz]

Contact your congresscritter. Tell them how they are taking their "license to broadcast" and using it as a "license to extort".

[TheRatPatrol]

I still think its ridiculous that cable and satellite companys have to pay to have local channels on their service that you can receive for free OTA. If I was a local channel owner I would gladly give my signal to them at no cost. You would get more viewers, and local businesses would get more customers.

[inkahauts]

ANY time a local OTA stations goes off air because they are asking for new or higher fees.. I always blame the stations. I mean, hello.. their customers could put up an antenna... its highway robbery to charge the sat and cable companies because your programing sucks so much that you can't make enough money via your advertising and marketing department...

[EVAC41]

They reached an agreement. :joy: I got a e-mail from KXJB's general manager saying they came back on the air at 8:00am today. :icon_bb: :icon_da: