While I won’t make it until midnight, as I’m tired, I do know one thing: I probably won’t have KFXO on my TV tomorrow, if BendBroadband’s press release is to be believed. From how I’m reading it, KFXO’s highly publicized “We were only asking for a penny a day per subscriber” turned out to not be true, as BendBroadband offered that, and was rejected.
December 31, 2008 Bend, Ore. – BendBroadband announced today that NPG/KFXO has rejected BendBroadband’s compromise on compensation for carriage of FOX programming on BendBroadband’s channel lineup. According to Amy Tykeson, President and CEO, “BendBroadband’s request for an extension of the current agreement to allow negotiations to continue has also been rebuffed by KFXO’s corporate offices. BendBroadband has met the requested penny-a-day per customer carriage fee that KFXO’s local management has widely touted as their requirement. Unfortunately our counteroffer has been rejected.”
Since KFXO hasn’t told their side of the story yet (as far as I know), I don’t know the other side of this. But the only show on Fox I really have to watch is House, so I’ll just have to download those or watch those on Hulu or something.
(Earlier story with discussion.)
Update on 1/1/09: The station is off of BendBroadband today, with this note on-screen (copied from the comments, so it may not be exactly right, but this is basically what it said, and I’m at the office where we don’t have BendBroadband so I can’t 100% verify):
BENDBROADBAND’S AGREEMENT TO CARRY KFXO (CH 10 SD & 610 HD) HAS EXPIRED. KFXO HAS REMOVED THEIR SIGNAL FROM OUR CHANNEL LINEUP. OUR REQUEST TO OFFER KFXO DURING NEGOTIATIONS WAS DENIED. FOR UPDATES, INCLUDING INFO ABOUT HOW TO RECIVE KFXO OVER-THE-AIR, GO TO BENDBROADBAND.COM/KFXO OR CALL 382-5551
Comments
i think the thing is that Z21 and foxxy are not local businesses … but were bought by a big parent company. this parent company doesn’t give a hoot about discomfort to central oregon and wants their pound of flesh one way or antoher. this is why there is no settlement.
i’d say stop writing foxxy but to call NPG wherever the heck they are. they don’t give a damn about us. best thing is to hit them in the pocket … and tell locals we see advertising on there to advertise elsewhere.
anyone know the website of npg?
found it … it’s
http://www.npgco.com/npgco/
these guys own newspapers, tv and radio all over the country …
nice … Central Oregon is just one of many lemons to squeeze
have a good new year, got to run to a new years party. hopefully this resolves soon.
*looks at channel 10*
“BENDBROADBAND’S AGREEMENT TO CARRY KFXO (CH 10 SD & 610 HD) HAS EXPIRED. KFXO HAS REMOVED THEIR SIGNAL FROM OUR CHANNEL LINEUP. OUR REQUEST TO OFFER KFXO DURING NEGOTIATIONS WAS DENIED. FOR UPDATES, INCLUDING INFO ABOUT HOW TO RECIVE KFXO OVER-THE-AIR, GO TO BENDBROADBAND.COM/KFXO OR CALL 382-5551”
*crys*
Hmm, I wonder what would cost more, paying NPG their fees, or spending $150 on DTV boxes and antennas for all our TV’s….meh.
does anyone have access to (or can anyone generate) a list of companies that advertise on KFXO? would love to see that … and then let them (and their parent company) know that I won’t be using their services anymore.
TV stations make money from advertising. Don’t cable companies increase their reach so they can charge more for advertising? They should be paying the cable company to carry their signal! Talk about greed. Next they’ll be trying to charge for their over-the-air signal. Don’t they realize that if they pull their signal people will download the shows without advertising? They’ll lose money PLUS they will drive people to piratebay.org and utorrent. They’re nutz.
Dave, bill and others … i fully agree. i’ll try to see if i can see the local folks advertising on fox tomorrow after work.
I posted this same comment on another site, but I think it warrants mentioning.
So let me get this straight, I should pay for something that is FREE to everyone that doesn’t have cable? What does kfxo have against cable customers? And if BBB caves you can be sure the other affiliates will follow. Meaning even more rate increases for cable customers in a down economy. Everybody complains when their cable bill increases, but when the cable company takes a stand, they become the bad guy???
I would love to see how the network execs at FOX would react if an affiliate tried this in a major market. It seems to me that some national advertisers might not like to hear that the ads they paid handsomely for in American Idol and the NFL playoffs, were only going to be seen by half as many eye balls. If I was an advertiser, I would want people who can afford cable to see my ads.
As a broadcast professional I see this going badly for KFXO. Can’t wait to see their fist book after they leave cable.
Any word on the advertisers list, foobar?
I saw a very one-sided piece on the issue on KTVZ, and the spokesman was saying that since BBB was profiting from the content, then Fox should get a slice too. I assume, then, that Fox pays every person appearing in their newscasts a slice since they profit from the content? I don’t think so!
Truly I can see both sides. I think BB is making money off something they get for free, which sucks. I’d pay for FOX because I watch it–I don’t want to pay for other channels “bundled” in like QVC and the religious channels, or even sports. I don’t watch them
We need A~la~carte pricing on cable, and soon.
On FOX’s part, I think they’ve pissed off all their advertisers, not to mention a lot of cable subscribers.
On that note, let me describe the little clusterf*ck that was just at Bend Broadband this morning (Saturday).
They said they had free rabbit ears. So I went to get one. I took my place in line inside the foyer, more people piling in behind me. The little BB employee (whose job I did not envy) kept telling us “Five or ten more minutes and they’ll be here.” Several people mentioned the Seinfeld Chinese restaurant skit…..
Then, someone said “they’re here!” and all the people who had NOT been waiting for 20-40 minutes stepped up and got their antenna. Those of us who had been waiting the longest were told they had more. (Why not bring ALL that you had in the first place??)
Then we decide to line up so as to not have the problem again (this time we were out in the cold waiting)….after another 10 minutes we were then told there were no more left.
Then another BB employee comes out to start taking our names and phone numbers. She tells us it won’t guarantee us an antenna, just to tell us they are in. What????? Then, THEN she proceeds to start at the BACK of the line taking people’s names.
Those of us at the front of the line had hit the end of our rope. Several of us went back and suggested rather strongly it would be the right thing to do to start with those who had been waiting the longest. It seriously took her 3 tries before she got it.
Then the nice kid came back out again and started taking names–HE told us it would hold an antenna for us. Being the bitch I am, I flat out said “What is it? She’s telling us one thing, you’re telling us another.”
Seriously, for a COMMUNICATIONS company, theirs sucks. The “supervisor” driving the truck getting the supply didn’t know how many there were, nor her employee’s phone number.
It was honestly one of the most frustrating situations I’ve been in–and I know I was standing with at least 40 others who were as mad or madder than I was.
People were yelling “Just put FOX back on the air!” Which, when you consider how much this antenna giveaway costs in time and materials, they’d be better off not pissing off all their customers.
If I could get local channels (I don’t have hope that the antenna will work at all in my spot under the butte), I’d have a dish in a hearbeat.
All I can say is this needs to get resolved. BB told me to watch House on my computer. I explained that I pay for cable and want to watch it on my tv.
If you search “rebroadcast agreements” you will at least see that CO is not the only area with this mess–Time Warner is having this fight too–Michigan, Texas, Ohio and other states are losing many stations.
I think it’s time for Congress to bring forth the a la carte plan so cable monopolies can continue to screw us over.
*getting off soapbox now* That wait at BB really got my blood pressure boiling!
sorry .. I’ll get the advertisers list up over the weekend. that means actually watching foxxy.
Edwhine … why shouldn’t FOXXY give out free antennas. they are the ones that benefit.
i think you are pushing at the wrong folks. why should all of CO pay a couple extra bucks for foxxy. i don’t watch any of their crap, i don’t want to pay for your house?
see the dilemma?
i see one party trying and another staying silent. i think you’ve barking up the wrong tree.
go knock on foxxy’s door and ask for a fargin antenna.
Edwhine … as for a-la-carte, i think that the contracts that content folks place prevents this. it would be helpful for congress to whap a stick on content and broadcast to match what cable is getting. but, then again, the content and broadcast lobby is where the money is … and we all know that senators like their money.
I probably posted my OP in the wrong place, the other forum with 33 comments is probably getting more views—
I just read those. I live where I can’t use an antenna. I tell you, I’d be on Dish or Direct in a heartbeat if they offered local channels.
This whole situation, especially the FUBR mess at BB today totally put me off BB. I have been a customer for 23 years. I used to call them yearly to ask why their “bundles” of choices were so vastly different than the VERY small town where my parents lived.
I never undersood why they got so much better channel choices in a town of 10K people. They even offered a “networks only basic” choice for $5 month. It got you NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS and Fox.
My guess is that Bend Broadband would never EVER offer this because then their subscribers would dump the big cost packages, buy the basics and then opt for satellite. I know that’s what *I’d* do.
Edwhine … so, then in the end we’ll be a town full of WallMart’s, McDonalds, Costco’s and burger kings. did you notice … the stores owned by your fellow CO folks are closing.
maybe we should all go work at a box store with just enough hours under to get no benefits.
american’s would sell their soul to save a cent.
Soul for sale! 3 cents! 🙂
Sorry foo… I had to.
I accept Paypal, btw…
@Eqwhine: While it’s not as low as $5/month, Bend Broadband DOES offer a network only option (plus a few QVC/access channels) for around $14/month. It’s called limited basic. I know that’s not the point, but there you go.
Eqwhine – sorry but the economics don’t work out to offer digital broadcast basic for $5 a month as a stand alone package. That would be a money loser when operational cost, infrastructure and video capital requirements are considered. Other cable companies have historically offered an analog lifeline package for around $13. BendBroadband offers a digital lifeline package called Limited for $17.95. Unlike analog the Limited package includes digital music, VOD and interactive programming guide. For a customer that takes Limited plus high speed internet they are getting a $10 bundling discount on high speed, thus they can Limited is really only $7.95 more plus set top rental.
How in the world can KFXO/KTVZ keep this one going? I’m not a huge fan of Bend Broadband, but it must account for half of KFXO’s viewers. Advertisers, unless they’re dumb as posts (not outside the realm of possibility given the average Bend business IQ), are sure to be seeking a hefty rebate on their commercials.
Multiplying the ridiculousness factor is the “news” coverage of the issue on KTVZ. While I’d concede that they have to cover the issue despite their huge financial stake in the outcome, the on-air folks must feel pretty embarrassed to be spouting their parent company’s press releases.
PLEASE PUT KFXO BACK ON THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE WATCH ON THAT CHANNLE
AND FOOTBALL HAPPENDS TO BE BE ONE OF THEM
NOW WE WON’T BE ABLE TO
TO SEE THE FOOTBALL GAME
AND THAT IS NOT FAIR
TO US
PLEASE PUT FOX BACK ON …
THANK YOU.
jennifer … you really need to call all parties. foxxy they removed the feed, waitied until the last minute to make this mess with the corporate mothership on the east coast squeezing more $$ out of us co folks.
this is a real big mess with us folks held hostage in the middle.
Honestly, if more money needs to be fed to anotherr, so be it. ill pay. you leave. whatever. But the issue for me is, WHY THE f–k ARE THE WAITING TO THIS RIGHT NOW DURING HOLIDAY SEASON. THE FRANCHISE OWNER OF CO FOX SHOULD BE SLAPPED IN THE NUTS.
scamando … i agree. for note, it appears to be back up. i’m going to be pretty peeved at foxxy and z21 for awhile … time to move to kohd and kbnz programming.
guess we will get the scoop tomorrow. all i know is that i hope that it was foxxy that got less $$ out of the region …
lets keep our businesses local.
okay, i got the game tonight and for thursday. i will say this. fox programming has some good and some bad programming like al networks, however ktvz blows my mind how they handled that fiasco. Do they think advertisigers are going line up now to get on their station? i mean seriously. Ans then to take away my football…… i already only get like 4 nfl games a week. i cant get nfl package with bend broadband. ………ok im calming down. however that was a total unnecessary s–t show. Im sorry for cursing.
Personal shoutout!?!?!
BEND LIVING IS A f–kING JOKE! LEAVE TOWN.
God news. Just saw a story on KTVZ that an agreement has been made, and I tried it and sure enough, Fox is back on 🙂 I don’t know any details on what the agreement was though, I’ll look into it more tomorrow. I’m happy though (and a little angry since we spent $38 for a new antenna in order to receive a good enough signal from SW Bend…)
the other interesting thing is our local paper. the source had the only compelling, neutral and literate review of the situation.
so, we have bubblehead tv stations (z21/kfxo) and a bubblehead newspaper (bulletin) and bubblehead blog (barney the purple dino over at z21).
maybe the kpov radio, opb, utterlyboring and the source is the way to get your 10 minerals and vitamins in the morning (i’m having quisp)