Tutor
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10 Messages
NYC channel blackout
I reside in Oakville, CT and I have AT&T U-verse cable TV. My zip code is 06779. Under this zip code my local channels consist of local Connecticut and local New York City channels. There are two New York City local channels that are blacked out in my area but at the same time they are listed on my local channel grid under the AT&T channel lineup under my zip code. I receive all the other New York City local channels such as WCBS. WNBC. WNYW and WPIX. The only two channels that are blocked out are WABC and WWOR out of New York City.
I have contacted AT&T support to ask why these two local NYC channels are blocked out and I was told that they are not available in my area, yet they are listed as a part of my local NYC channel lineup under my zip code on the AT&T website channel lineup. I would like to find out who or what is preventing me from receiving these two channels in my area so that I may make a proper contact to request that these two local NYC channels be provided to my area. I don't know if it is AT&T not wanting to pay the costs associated for marketing reasons, or if the Connecticut ABC affiliate WTNH out of New Haven CT is preventing this or if it is a FCC cable regulation preventing this. There has got to be a valid reason for this problem. Can someone please explain what is causing this blackout and suggest me a contact to pursue this matter so that I may request that these two NYC local channels be provided in my area? Thanks for listening as I await a response.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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35.1K Messages
10 years ago
No, you have it backwards from the way I read it. WTNH-TV wanted to block WABC-TV in the four communities. It succeeded on Waterbury and two others, which means WTNH-TV received FCC permission to have the cable providers block access to WABC-TV. In Milford, WABC-TV can still be shown.
Edit: A link to another article that is more clearly worded:
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fcc-says-wnth-can-invoke-syndex-wabc-three-four-communities/60957?rssid=20065
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db821arc
Scholar
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86 Messages
10 years ago
I may be wrong but what I understand the FCC rules to be is if you have a local ABC station that serves your area the cable company is required to carry that channel. WWOR I do not know anything about you may have to call the station and see why they will not let AT&T carry their signal. This rule goes back to the beginning of cable tv back in the 70's. A local network station gets carried over an out of town station. If I am wrong someone will be along to correct me.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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35.1K Messages
10 years ago
Connecticut has some funny rules that you don't see in other areas of the country.
Some of this revolves around local ad revenue. Each TV station wants to have the most viewers it possibly can from ratings books; when you have two stations showing the same content they are going to fight over who must be carried.
I'm thinking blackouts can be more fine-tuned than channel listings, which is why you get the channel in your listings, but the channel is blacked out.
Try contacting the Connecticut PSC for information on this.
See also this: http://broadcastengineering.com/regulation/fcc-sides-wtnh-tv-waiver-petition-mostly
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aviewer
Expert
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10.1K Messages
10 years ago
If it were true , there would be more postings. Your channel access needs to be reset.
Send a PM to attcustomer care using this link - http://forums.att.com/t5/notes/privatenotespage/tab/compose/note-to-user-id/192773
copy your post & add your acct info
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Kingjameson
Tutor
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10 Messages
10 years ago
Would you kindly further explain the article that you provided from broadcastengineering.com/regulation? From what I am reading from it, sounds like Waterbury received a waiver from FCC to receive WABC where Milford was denied it? Am I correct in interpreting it this way? Please elaborate. Thank you.
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Kingjameson
Tutor
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10 Messages
10 years ago
Can someone please tell me why WABC and WWOR out of New York City are not available in my Connecticut zip code area of 06779? Both of these channels appear on my AT&T U-Verse channel grid stating that these channels are not available in my area but at the same time, these two channels appear on my local channel listing for my area of 06779 as my local channels. Please tell me what is preventing me from receiving these two channels in my area? I receive all other NYC channels in my CT area of 06779 so why are these two channels blocked? There has got to be a reason and I would like to know what it is. I am hoping that when Frontier takes over AT&Tthat they will provide these two channels along with the other NYC channels in my viewing area.
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Kingjameson
Tutor
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10 Messages
10 years ago
I don't understand the FCC ruling meaning behind this. The FCC allows WTNH in New Haven, CT to block out WABC to be received in certain areas of the state of CT. Yet, the FCC ruling does not allow WVIT (NBC) in Hartford, WFSB (CBS) in Hartford, and WTIC (FOX) in Hartford to block out their competitive NYC stations such as WNBC (NBC), WCBS (CBS) and WNYW (FOX) all out of NYC. I receive all 3 NYC stations for these three network affiliates and they are available to me to view local NYC advertising. I really don't think WTNH out of New Haven, CT is accomplishing anything worthwhile by blocking the NYC ABC affiliate station WABC out of New York City. Please comment. Thank you.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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35.1K Messages
10 years ago
What WTNH-TV thinks they are accomplishing is increasing their viewer count and thus increasing their ratings and thus being able to charge advertisers a higher rate for their commercials than they could if they had to compete with WABC-TV in those areas. I'm sure they'd like even more areas, but they chose those as ones that they thought they could win, based on the arcane rules and formulas. They may also be entitled to charge a retransmission fee to AT&T and the other local video providers—which could be tough when the provider could chose WABC-TV instead—but I'm not sure how this ruling impacts that situation
The FCC acted as a direct result of a petition from WTHN-TV, which is why they, and not the other stations you mentioned, were included in this ruling. The other stations probably have looked at the situation and feel that they don't have a case (or have tried, and lost).
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Kingjameson
Tutor
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10 Messages
10 years ago
Then the Connecticut merchants should advertise with WVIT, WFSB,WTIC in Connecticut with lower advertising rates to save money and likely get just as much or more exposure than if they advertised with WTNH. I always that that success to an economy is competitive marketing. So much for that concept !
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