Smak Runner 2K
02-04-2006, 06:18 PM
Dangit!
The whole Sinclair vs. TWC fiasco is giving me dejavu, in regards to the Super Bowl.
Three SB's ago, I lived in Canton OH, an area also served by TWC. Now at that time, TWC had not reached an agreement with the local CBS affiliate's (WOIO) parent company, Raycom Communications, to carry WOIO-DT.
However, at the last minute, TWC and Raycom came to a "temporary" agreement to allow TWC customers to get WOIO-DT for 24hrs, in order for them to be able to watch the Super Bowl in HD. After the 24hr. period, the channel was removed and negotiations resumed.
(Incidentally, they did come to a full-time agreement about 6 mo. later)
Now, fast forward to today. I now live in Columbus, and am looking at another "Super Bowl HD Showdown" between TWC and a broadcast company...in this case, the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Unlike the dispute w/ Raycom, this dispute seems to be almost..personal. Personal in that you have Sinclair, for all intensive purposes, slamming TWC on their analog channels, flat-out telling people to "switch to WOW to watch the Super Bowl in HD" - which is taken and ment to be a direct attack against TWC for trying to manage their costs in an effort to stay competitive price-wise against Dish and Direct TV.
Am I the only person who takes this approach as a bit childish? It doesn't seem to be a practice that a multi-million dollar company should be involved in, I don't know. It would be like NBC crawling "CBS SUCKS!" accross the bottom of the screen during ER or something...it just SEEMS wrong, and I kinda feel dirty watching it while I'm enjoying (the SD versions of) Lost or Arrested Development.
Also, all this bickering makes a compromise (like I experienced before w/ Raycom) all but impossible...although I do hope that the two sides are working hard at hammering-out an agreement in time for the biggest TV event of the year. Although I must say, I doubt that either side is even interested in talking to the other right now. Ten bucks says that TWC and Sinclair haven't talked in a while, and aren't talking tonight...Anyone want to take me up on that? I'd love to be proven wrong, by the way.
I don't know..maybe it's my fault. Maybe it's my fault for A) Being in an area that can't get WOW, B) Being an early adopter...twice, and C) Liking cable and having no desire to get Satillite. In Canton, I had a early-generation Mits with no HD tuner, and this time I have a first-generation D-ILA with no tuner. So both Sinclair and TWC's "GET AN ANTENNA!" campaign can just suck it as far as I'm concerned...I can't.
I'm puzzled though, as to the "lack" of outrage as far as this goes. I know I'm not alone here, I'm sure there are thousands of us TWC customers who do not have an HD tuner...but I guess I thought I'd see more pressure on both companies than I see to get a deal done. It's almost like the whole on-line HD populous of Columbus has just resigned themselves to the way it is. I expected this website in particular, to be BUZZING with "Sinclair sucks" or "TWC sucks" chat...but there is none. Hell, even on the AVS Forum, the Columbus OTA / Cable thread has been deader than a doornail lately. WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE??? WHERE IS THE OUTCRY??? WHERE IS THE PRESSURE ON THESE TWO COMPANIES TO COME TOGETHER???
Well, I'm outraged, I'm trying to cry-out, and although one customer can't pressure anyone into anything, I'd love to try.
I just had to get this off my chest...although I'd love to hear from anyone who is in a similar situation so we can both wallow in the misery of watching an SD Superbowl.
At least it's on CBS and NBC the next two years...sigh.
The whole Sinclair vs. TWC fiasco is giving me dejavu, in regards to the Super Bowl.
Three SB's ago, I lived in Canton OH, an area also served by TWC. Now at that time, TWC had not reached an agreement with the local CBS affiliate's (WOIO) parent company, Raycom Communications, to carry WOIO-DT.
However, at the last minute, TWC and Raycom came to a "temporary" agreement to allow TWC customers to get WOIO-DT for 24hrs, in order for them to be able to watch the Super Bowl in HD. After the 24hr. period, the channel was removed and negotiations resumed.
(Incidentally, they did come to a full-time agreement about 6 mo. later)
Now, fast forward to today. I now live in Columbus, and am looking at another "Super Bowl HD Showdown" between TWC and a broadcast company...in this case, the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Unlike the dispute w/ Raycom, this dispute seems to be almost..personal. Personal in that you have Sinclair, for all intensive purposes, slamming TWC on their analog channels, flat-out telling people to "switch to WOW to watch the Super Bowl in HD" - which is taken and ment to be a direct attack against TWC for trying to manage their costs in an effort to stay competitive price-wise against Dish and Direct TV.
Am I the only person who takes this approach as a bit childish? It doesn't seem to be a practice that a multi-million dollar company should be involved in, I don't know. It would be like NBC crawling "CBS SUCKS!" accross the bottom of the screen during ER or something...it just SEEMS wrong, and I kinda feel dirty watching it while I'm enjoying (the SD versions of) Lost or Arrested Development.
Also, all this bickering makes a compromise (like I experienced before w/ Raycom) all but impossible...although I do hope that the two sides are working hard at hammering-out an agreement in time for the biggest TV event of the year. Although I must say, I doubt that either side is even interested in talking to the other right now. Ten bucks says that TWC and Sinclair haven't talked in a while, and aren't talking tonight...Anyone want to take me up on that? I'd love to be proven wrong, by the way.
I don't know..maybe it's my fault. Maybe it's my fault for A) Being in an area that can't get WOW, B) Being an early adopter...twice, and C) Liking cable and having no desire to get Satillite. In Canton, I had a early-generation Mits with no HD tuner, and this time I have a first-generation D-ILA with no tuner. So both Sinclair and TWC's "GET AN ANTENNA!" campaign can just suck it as far as I'm concerned...I can't.
I'm puzzled though, as to the "lack" of outrage as far as this goes. I know I'm not alone here, I'm sure there are thousands of us TWC customers who do not have an HD tuner...but I guess I thought I'd see more pressure on both companies than I see to get a deal done. It's almost like the whole on-line HD populous of Columbus has just resigned themselves to the way it is. I expected this website in particular, to be BUZZING with "Sinclair sucks" or "TWC sucks" chat...but there is none. Hell, even on the AVS Forum, the Columbus OTA / Cable thread has been deader than a doornail lately. WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE??? WHERE IS THE OUTCRY??? WHERE IS THE PRESSURE ON THESE TWO COMPANIES TO COME TOGETHER???
Well, I'm outraged, I'm trying to cry-out, and although one customer can't pressure anyone into anything, I'd love to try.
I just had to get this off my chest...although I'd love to hear from anyone who is in a similar situation so we can both wallow in the misery of watching an SD Superbowl.
At least it's on CBS and NBC the next two years...sigh.