Millions Of Cable Customers Could Lose Fox News This Week

[CatWoman]

Millions of Americans could be entering 2020 without Fox News, which is currently the most-watched cable network in the country. Thanks to extended contract disagreements between the overarching Fox company and a collection of smaller TV providers, Fox News and multiple Fox Sports channels could go dark for customers unless some rather large and quick changes go into effect.


Why Cable Customers Could Lose Fox News Soon

Fox is reportedly increasing the dollar signs tied to the collective bargaining agreement between the company and smaller cable TV providers. (As in, not DirecTV, Comcast, Dish, etc.) Some of those more localized cable companies have taken to social media to explain to customers that Fox's fee requests for its two Fox Sports channels have gotten more exorbitant than those of previous years, and are allegedly ten times the normal rate of inflation.

Such price hikes would seem to be a common occurrence that these smaller-scale cable companies have to regularly deal with, presumably factoring into why the companies are joining together to protest the current negotiations at play. Check out the telling tweet below from ALLO Communications, which services cities across Nebraska and Colorado.

Link to tweet

?s=20

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2487547/millions-of-cable-customers-could-lose-fox-news-this-week?fbclid=IwAR27zOjgtgmTMXg8AB1YeCQRzYnMT08eeKl8tIDmJ60XzBZDx_vvzYzYkXU

[roamer65]

1. I won't lose it.

My Dish package doesn’t have it! It’s wonderful.

[Initech]

14. I blocked it from my DVR in case i accidentally wandered on to it.

[TruckFump]

60. Same. Blocked at my house.

[ProfessorGAC]

63. Here Too

Works on no TVs here.

[drbtg1]

65. You may want to double check that

IIRC, Dish, along with its OTT service Sling, recently made a deal to get it, but still failed to make a deal so far with Sinclair to keep the RSN's that Sinclair bought from Disney after the Disney purchase of Fox assets.

[dewsgirl]

2. That's frightening, they may turn to even further right

channels such as OAN.

[GoCubsGo]

8. My local cable company also carries The Blaze and Newsmax.

The Cult has plenty of other swill to tide them over until things get settled with The Propaganda Channel.

[dewsgirl]

13. At least there is some truth at FOX, the others have been

Last edited Tue Dec 31, 2019, 08:40 PM - Edit history (1)

lying and even outed the Whistleblower.

[rickyhall]

21. Really? Where?

[dewsgirl]

38. OAN, the Blaze, Limbaugh etc.

I should add, at least in their print media.

[CaptYossarian]

36. I thought Shep Smith resigned.

[dewsgirl]

39. Neil Cavuto, Chris Wallace and a few others.

[CaptYossarian]

58. Lately, Wallace has left the dark side. I don't know Cavuto.

[dewsgirl]

59. That's disappointing, I had the most faith in CW.

[doc03]

3. That would be a loss? nt

[Sherman A1]

6. Agreed

I would see it as a net plus.

[Aristus]

4. Oh noes! Who are the Trumpsters going to get to do their thinking for them?

[CaptYossarian]

37. They can get the news from DU.

Let's tell the anti-vaxxers they're developing a vaccine to eliminate autism. That'll drive them even more nuts.

[Aristus]

40. HA!

[muntrv]

53. Sinclair Broadcasting is still there to parrot Twitler.

[IggleDuer]

5. Oh My!

How would the Fox viewers keep being misinformed?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. What a shame.

[onenote]

9. This ends one of two ways:

Either these small companies capitulate and their customers pay the price.

Or the companies stand pat and a lot of their customers dump the small cable operator for Dish or DirecTV or another large video provider.

Fox wins either way.

[TheFarseer]

10. I would be freaking pissed if I lost FS 1

I need my basketball!

[mwooldri]

28. Thanks to the Internet and services like Sling and YouTube TV...

... if your cable/satellite TV company has a carriage dispute, you can subscribe to one of these services that has the channels you want as an alternative.

[TheFarseer]

44. I'm actually a YouTubeTV subscriber

I get more of the channels I want for less money. Very rarely is there a game I don’t get. Although I miss Comedy Central (and MTV to a lesser extent)

[KY_EnviroGuy]

11. OMG, some deplorables may be exposed to some truth during this time.....

it may take Murdoch and Trump months to decontaminate them.....

[lpbk2713]

12. That would be an excellent way to start off the new year.

A black screen where Faux Snooze used to be. I might tune in just for that.

[durablend]

23. But you know of course...

They'll still sit, stare at it and blame Obama (or "that damn Hillary" ) for it.

[samnsara]

15. dang i saw the word DISH..my provider...and i was all happy til i read the sentence..

..some deplorables gonna be really cranky! heehee

[Miigwech]

16. Go for it!

[not_the_one]

17. Sounds like a good start.

We should have "a la carte" cable services, which the FCC says cable services CAN offer. But what we ACTUALLY get are "a la carte" BUNDLES.

I have no desire to financially support ANY FOX channel, any religious channel, any right-wing/neo-nazi channel, any sports channel (with the one exception of THE OLYMPIC NETWORK). I don't speak Spanish, so I don't need any of those, either.

That would cut my # of channels down to about 50? Instead of hundreds of crap I don't watch.

I understand it is a marketing tool. The cable services want to brag that they offer all these viewing options, KNOWING that you WON'T watch them, and KNOWING that most of those same channels COULD NOT exist as stand alone channels, which means THEY could not brag about offering HUNDREDS of channels to entice you to use their cable service.

Then add to that the fact that they are tiered options. I ONLY watch HD channels, yet to get the HD tier I must automatically take ALL the lower tiered channels, of which many are duplicates of what I get in HD. Of course the regulation is that you can not be forced to take a HIGHER tier that you don't want. But the way it is set up you must take all lower tiers, up to and including the one that meets your needs. (According to Blue Ridge Cable, my service...)

With computerized cable boxes these variations could easily be addressed. But then the cable services would not have "brag" factor to use when selling their service.

I apologize, but this REALLY pisses me off.



edit to add "of"

[bitterross]

18. Great! Rural cable companies lose faux

This would be great. Sounds like the rural, redneck parts of the country might have to watch real news for a change.

[onenote]

57. No. The subscribers will just switch to satellite

or possibly to another terrestrial video service.

In the end, the small cable companies either will capitulate or lose a ton of money.

[hunter]

19. I quit cable when I realized I was paying to have garbage delivered to my house.

That was over a decade ago.

Quitting Comcast was amusing. They really didn't want me to go.

For a few months they kept a 35 cent credit on my balance, probably so they could claim I was still a customer and annoy the hell out of me calling about special offers. They didn't actually turn off the service either.

Eventually I went to their office and told them to quit calling me and threatened to remove their underground cable from my property, house to curb.

That got their attention. But the poor guy behind the counter was so worried about his retention numbers he marked us down as "moved."

Sure enough the Comcast sales people were knocking at our door a few weeks later offering special deals for new residents.

We've quit broadcast television as well.

Our television is a movie player, that's all it does. We have an $8.99 Netflix subscription which works fine on our inexpensive DSL internet connection, and we watch DVDs we rent at the neighborhood Redbox or buy in thrift stores. Sometimes we'll buy new DVDs (and now Blu-Rays) of movies we especially like.


As a few other cable cutters here on DU have noted, once you've quit traditional television for a while you don't go back.

I now find television advertising intolerable and I don't have any patience for television news an opinion. I'd much rather read my news and opinion.

[CaptYossarian]

43. Now that the Medicare signup deadline has passed, the airwaves will be polluted with campaign ads.

You'll miss out on all that, plus the horrendous MyPillow jerk.

[Scruffy1]

47. Same with me.

I never watched much televion and the idea of forking over a monthly fee to be subject to non-atop obnoxious commercials is apaaling. I don't need a hairdo with an umbrella to tell me it's raining Even the "educational" dtuff is about 90% fluff. I can get more information in five minutes of reading than I can in an hour of television.

[paleotn]

20. Ironic that smaller cable providers tend to service key Faux news areas

i.e. bf egypt. Makes me snicker. Oh, what will they do without their Faux fix?!!

[Skittles]

22. LOL

they are sticking it to their customers because Trump has made them a CULT

[eppur_se_muova]

24. They need to create a new price tier just for FAUX ...

Anyone who pays extra to get lied to should be charged through the nose for the privilege.

[soldierant]

29. Now that's an idea I could get behind.

[JohnnyRingo]

25. I'll trade mine to someone for Starz.

I'd even take MTV2

[RandySF]

26. Good

[Ferrets are Cool]

27. I believe the Allman Brothers once sang

"Ya can't lose whatcha never had"

[pandr32]

30. Would be the best thing!

Let's hope

[jcmaine72]

31. Shame I won't be one of them.

[warmfeet]

32. I hope to see this abomination gone from all airwaves

in my lifetime.

When I channel surf, I intentionally skip over faux nuwz - I have since its inception.

[Tiggeroshii]

33. Good for delusioned zealots. Bad for dodgers fans.

[UTUSN]

34. WAaaa, poor babies!1

[2naSalit]

35. It would be worth it...nt

[whistler162]

41. I believe this sums it up

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

42. Just breaks my heart

[sakabatou]

45. O NOES! Not the loss of Fox "News!"

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

55. 'Zackly! How will I keep track of the "Democrat Party" without Fox? nt

[Turbineguy]

46. They'll have to substitute

heroin.

[magicarpet]

48. Well,...

They could just eat buckets of shit with a tea spoon then clean up the juicy stuff at the bottom with a flexible drinking straw,... same thing as a diet of Fux Nuz.

[TexasBushwhacker]

49. Short headline - FOX IS GREEDY

[ooky]

50. Goody.

I hope Suddenlink gets zapped by Fox. All the Greenville NC MAGATs will have a cow.

[nocoincidences]

51. Boo fricking hoo.

I wish I could care...and no, I can't!

[keithbvadu2]

52. You say that as if it was a bad thing.

You say that as if it was a bad thing.

[Historic NY]

54. YIPPEE

[helpisontheway]

56. Good! Hope it is permanent. Nt

[spanone]

61. Go ahead faux, price yourself right out America.

[onenote]

62. Deal cut. No one lost any of the Fox channels

The terms weren't disclosed, but history would suggest that the cable companies capitulated and agreed to pay a big increase in carriage fees, which will end up being passed along to customers.

[Ilsa]

64. Our national IQ should improve with this development. nt