Scripps bandits??? Demanding 200% increase for HGTV, Food (got 0.25, wants 1.03 & 0.73)
Taylor
and Food Network
6:34 PM By Emily Ngo | NTVLand
Time Warner Cable and Fox have bridged their channel differences to
the delight of “American Idol” fans, but a separate dispute is keeping
“Iron Chef America ” and other popular shows from Cablevision
subscribers in the Bronx and much of Brooklyn.
Those viewers awoke New Year’s Day to find customer alerts where the
Food Network and HGTV, Scripps Networks channels, once ran. This fight
over carriage fees, however, may end bitterly.
“We believe it was irresponsible for Scripps to take the channels off,
and it is irresponsible for them not to put the channels back on,”
Cablevision, which owns amNewYork, said in a statement.
"Cablevision offered Scripps the ability to continue delivering HGTV
and Food Network to our customers while we negotiated a new
agreement," the statemant said.
Cablevision said Scripps is demanding a 200 percent hike in their
fees.
Scripps yesterday said it has been trying to negotiate with
Cablevision for more than six months, “but to no avail.”
Scripps has argued that the increase it seeks is “reasonable” and has
been using two Web sites and a hotline to encourage fans to demand
Cablevision reverse its decision.
Scripps has been using two Web sites and a hotline to encourage fans
of “Ace of Cakes” and other shows to reach it out to Cablevision
reverse its decision. Supporters so far have sent 80,000 e-cards on
behalf of Scripps. “We have tried and are continuing to do everything
we can to engage Cablevision in meaningful discussions so that we can
right this situation,” said Brooke Johnson, president of the Food
Network.
Cablevision was reportedly paying 25 cents each month per subscriber
for both channels, though Scripps said a study showed viewers thought
the Food Network is worth $1.03 and HGTV worth 73 cents.
“Iron Chef America” star Bobby Flay expressed his disappointment on
Twitter on Sunday, writing “This Cablevision thing is trippin’ people
out.”
In the separate clash, Fox reportedly had asked for $1 for every
subscriber while Time Warner was willing to pay only 50 cents for each
of its 60 million customers. The media companies Sunday would not
disclose the terms of the agreement or comment on whether customers
will have to pay more.
Douglas Tatelman
and the networks have created a mess.
The fees just keep growing and people can't just choose the channels
they want.
For example, about $3 - $5 of your bill goes to ESPN and other sports
networks, that I never watch.
Of course, if we got to choose, it would be harder for new networks to
come along, but this current method is starting to fall apart.
' not sure whether anyone who matters will come here to see what we
think.
Anim8rFSK
<318faadf-0e58-4185...@j24g2000yqa.googlegroups.com>,
Taylor <lukeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Cablevision was reportedly paying 25 cents each month per subscriber
> for both channels, though Scripps said a study showed viewers thought
> the Food Network is worth $1.03
When the Hell was THAT study done - 10 years ago?
--
Tiger Woods has just been named "Athlete of the Decade"
His chosen event? The Broad Jump.
WQ 3.0
> With Time Warner and Fox settled, new cable TV clash is Cablevision
> and Food Network
> 6:34 PM By Emily Ngo | NTVLand
>
> Time Warner Cable and Fox have bridged their channel differences to
> the delight of “American Idol” fans, but a separate dispute is keeping
> “Iron Chef America ” and other popular shows from Cablevision
> subscribers in the Bronx and much of Brooklyn.
>
> Those viewers awoke New Year’s Day to find customer alerts where the
> Food Network and HGTV, Scripps Networks channels, once ran. This fight
> over carriage fees, however, may end bitterly.
>
> “We believe it was irresponsible for Scripps to take the channels off,
> and it is irresponsible for them not to put the channels back on,”
> Cablevision, which owns amNewYork, said in a statement.
>
> "Cablevision offered Scripps the ability to continue delivering HGTV
> and Food Network to our customers while we negotiated a new
> agreement," the statemant said.
>
> Cablevision said Scripps is demanding a 200 percent hike in their
> fees.
> Scripps yesterday said it has been trying to negotiate with
> Cablevision for more than six months, “but to no avail.”
>
> Scripps has argued that the increase it seeks is “reasonable” and has
> been using two Web sites and a hotline to encourage fans to demand
> Cablevision reverse its decision.
So does this mean that every pipsqueak cable network out there that's
too impotent to earn advertiser bucks on their own for their survival
without having to suck on the viewer's tit deserves about $1 a month
from each of their subscribers? Before you know it, with a 100-
channel cable or satellite service you'll be paying at least $100 a
month. And for what? Minimum 75% repeats. Do you see where this is
all starting to go, people? The only way out other than to cancel
your service is for cable and satellite to go completely a la carte -
and none of this basic channel package plus pick and choose nonsense,
every channel should become just pick and choose. Don't want ABC?
Fine. Do want Syfy? Great. Take what you want and pay for it, don't
take what you don't want and don't pay for it (unlike how it is now).
Survival of the fittest, let the weak go under - the law of TV
nature. Tampering with that law only results in the nightmare that's
now beginning to rear its ugly head, if it wasn't already ugly before.
Taylor
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/business/media/04cable.html
The Food Network - 8 cents
Oprah Winfrey Network - 50 cents > currently known as Discovery Health
Channel - 12 cents
ESPN - $4.10
TNT - 96 cents
Fox News, USA and ESPN2 - more than 50 cents