Rabbit ears work just fine for rabbits. They don’t work so well for TV reception, especially here in Central Oregon, aka “The Middle of Nowhere,” where over-the-air TV signals are few, weak and far between.
But rabbit ears will be the only technology available for Bend-area viewers who want to watch Fox Network programming after Dec. 31, unless KFXO, the local Fox affiliate, and BendBroadband, the only local cable TV provider, can come to an understanding before then. At this writing, negotiations appear to be stymied.
The dispute is pretty basic: KFXO says BendBroadband should pay it for Fox Network programs and BendBroadband says it shouldn’t. From where we sit (parked in front of our 46-inch flat-screen high-definition TV watching the Giants play the Vikings on Fox) it looks like BendBroadband has the better argument.
BendBroadband points out that no other provider – ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS or anybody – charges for network programming that’s broadcast over the air for free. It claims that giving in to KFXO’s demand would cost $750,000 a year – money that ultimately would come out of the pockets of its cable subscribers.
It also predicts – and it’s pretty tough to argue with this – that giving KFXO what it wants would encourage all the other network programming providers to shake down the cable company for extra cash. “KFXO’s request sets an alarming precedent in this market that will significantly impact cable rates for [what is now] free programming,” says BendBroadband’s website.
If the Fox Network goes dark on New Year’s Day, the 40,000 Bend-area households that subscribe to BendBroadband will have no practical way to receive Fox’s signal. It won’t be available via DirectTV satellite service either; the only way to watch Fox shows will be with those aforementioned rabbit ears, a technology that went out with “Leave It to Beaver.”
We can understand, and to some extent sympathize with, KFXO’s desire to boost its bottom line. TV outlets – almost all media all over the country, as far as that goes – are hurting in this brutal economy and scrambling to pick up a few bucks wherever they can.
But we can’t sympathize with KFXO’s tactic of putting a gun to the head of BendBroadband and Bend TV viewers just as the NFL playoffs and the Bowl Championship Series are about to start – not to mention, of course, the crucial 2009 season of “American Idol.”
And frankly, we can’t at all understand the logic of KFXO’s strategy. What does it stand to gain by having 40,000 BendBroadband subscriber households – which probably translates to around 80,000 to 120,000 viewers – unable to watch its programs? How many local advertisers will continue buying time on Fox if virtually nobody in Bend and vicinity is able to see their ads?
KFXO’s demand looks like nothing more or less than a crude and clumsy extortion attempt aimed not only at the cable company but at Bend TV viewers. We hereby give it THE BOOT – and for good measure, a poke with a sharp pair of rabbit ears.
This article appears in Jan 1-7, 2009.
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THis is ridiculous and I am going to have a petition signed; I cannot believe how GREEDY people/KFXO is and BendBroadBand is not much better but KFXO has really shown how loyal they are to greed and $$ when we the majority of us cannot even get a job at McDonald’s due to the economy! All we ask for is some local news and updates and all they want is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. So very sad, they would have been ahead of the game and made much more off of us over last year, but NOOOO, STILL not enough greed. Very sad to see how our local communiity is not concerned about the PEOPLE but only themselves. I used to like living in a small town but now I am questioning the small town mentality.
I say let KFXO stay off Bendbroadband. Dont really need them if I really want to watch FOX I can always go to http://www.fox.com/fod/. I hope Bendbroadband holds there groud.
I hope Bendbroadband recinds any offer it has put on the table. If they give in to KFXO homeland security will be all over them for giving in to terrorist:) Tell them to go jump in a lake. This company is out of state and could give a crap about us, the feeling is mutual.If anyone local is stupid enough to advertise with them I will call those business to let them know I am boycotting them.I will email the companies that advertise nationally with fox to let them know they are getting ripped off. I have already emailed the NFL. Happy stinkin New Year.
KFXO is saying it will switch some of its local advertisers to KTVZ, which is owned by the same outfit. Amy Tykeson should tell them: “You wanna play hardball? Okay, let’s play hardball. If you won’t let us carry Fox programming, we’ll take the KTVZ signal off the air too.” But Amy’s probably too nice a person to do that. Maybe she should hire a couple of guys from New Jersey named Vito and Carmine to handle negotiations for her.
“If anyone local is stupid enough to advertise with them I will call those business to let them know I am boycotting them.”
Good for you. Who’d be up for throwing a picket line at KFXO and KTVZ?
“Dont really need them if I really want to watch FOX I can always go to http://www.fox.com/fod/.”
Thanks for the tip, but while that lets you watch the Fox series (including “Idol”) you can’t get the football games, which is what I really care about.
I don’t watch tv, but if I did, I wouldn’t watch Fox. This is great to hear that Fox is gone!
FOX Sports web page has a feedback utility. I can’t believe that FOX wants to throw away half of the Central Oregon market.
It is also difficult to believe that KFXO management would have so little respect for their viewers that they hold them hostage as a bargaining tool. BAD MOVE. Is this just another case of an out of state owner showing no respect for customers,viewers and advertisers?
“Is this just another case of an out of state owner showing no respect for customers,viewers and advertisers?”
Short answer: Yes.
This is one of the consequences of allowing media ownership to be concentrated in the hands of a few giant national corporations who have no roots in the local communities they “serve” and who couldn’t care less about those communities. Thank Ronald Reagan for starting this.
“But we canรข โขt sympathize with KFXOรข โขs tactic of putting a gun to the head of BendBroadband and Bend TV viewers just as the NFL playoffs and the Bowl Championship Series are about to start รข ” not to mention, of course, the crucial 2009 season of รข American Idol.รข ย”
While I sense a little bit of sarcasm, you also have to look at it this way. There is other way for KFXO to strike a deal with compensation. The contract expired on the first of the year, it’s doubtful there there would be something like a “let’s just get through sweeps” three month extension. The dispute had to happen, coincidentally, popular programming is the victim. Maybe if it happened between June and August, 3 less people would have complained.. but the fact of the matter is that people enjoy FOX, there is no good time to cut a popular TV channel.
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“And frankly, we canรข โขt at all understand the logic of KFXOรข โขs strategy. What does it stand to gain by having 40,000 BendBroadband subscriber households รข ” which probably translates to around 80,000 to 120,000 viewers รข ” unable to watch its programs? How many local advertisers will continue buying time on Fox if virtually nobody in Bend and vicinity is able to see their ads?”
Really, you’re right, there’s not much logic in pulling the signal off the air. But look at it this way, the company has no other card to play. SInce BBB has a cable monopoly for TV in Central Oregon, they can do whatever they want and they’ll win. There are no viewers to be lost to satellite if they care about local channels. I’m sure KFXO will not happy, with the decline in ad dollars, but will they be surprised? Probably not. Any TV station knows ads equal money. I don’t think it’s as much about “look how dumb KFXO is for pulling off of Bend Broadband, and losing ads” as much as it is “look at how much we have to gain if cable customers get so tired of not having FOX on BBB.”
I think the reality is that TV is expensive. It’s hard to expect that this day in age that broadcast channels will be free, especially in small markets where advertisers quit buying and go out of business in a recession. How about those Bend restaurants? They’re doing well, huh? I’m on the side of KFXO, they should be compensated for providing a clean signal to BBB.
we only have an antenna in a tree, same as the last 25 years. I really don’t care what happens, anyone who needs more than three channels of garbage (and one channel of OPB) has issues far beyond the fox/bend broadcast issue.
Colbert said “I’m on the side of KFXO, they should be compensated…” Let’s remember that BendBroadband has offered compensation. In fact, BendBroadband offered the purported “penny a day per subscriber” that KXFO has been spreading in the media for weeks as what they were asking for (which was less than their owner NPG was in fact demanding at the time). The offer is a combination of mostly cash, advertising (more cash)and paying for fiber transport that Fox requires to get their signal to our system. They rejected this offer. Their requested annual increase in the amount of compensation of 17-40% per year is unreasonable and they rejected a very reasonable, industry standard increase. This could be quickly resolved – but so far NPG appears unwilling to agree or propose a reasonable counter offer. Thus here we sit.
“I don’t think it’s as much about “look how dumb KFXO is for pulling off of Bend Broadband, and losing ads” as much as it is “look at how much we have to gain if cable customers get so tired of not having FOX on BBB.”
The flip side of that is that Bend cable customers might figure out they don’t really NEED Fox on BBB that much. Like I said, all I really care about is the football and I can learn to live without that.
My hunch is that KXFO is gonna cave in first.
“anyone who needs more than three channels of garbage”
If it’s all garbage why do you need ANY channels?
I don’t know where you live or how high your tree is, but where we live we can’t get ANY channels over the air clearly.
I concur the network programming is garbage (except for sports) but cable channels like the Science Channel and the History Channel have some worthwhile stuff occasionally. And HDNET and MGMHD show some good movies.
I’m totally OCD, therefore placing rabbit ears in my house is not an option. Goodbye Fox. Thanks for holding Central Oregon residents hostage.
This just in: BendBroadband and KFXO reach agreement. Fox is back on, which means I will be able to watch the Giants play the Eagles on Sunday. All’s right with the world.
Once again … The Source shows that it is the only intelligent and, shall we say, sassy media in Central Oregon.
Both the article, and discussion, are insightful.
Bend Broadband stuck every single user of its system with digital surcharges and ugly cable boxes that we will now rent ad-infinitum (don’t worry, they won’t be free for long).
We’ve lost our ability to view analog TV which the cable companies in America were supposed to supply for another 2 years (Bend Broadband applied for an exemption and tried to pretend it was related to DTV).
All to make Bend Broadband more money by having more channels to sell. And then they whine when someone wants to charge them for something that everyone else gets for free: I say – welcome to the bed you just made for everyone else.