HDTV Almanac - Pot? Kettle? The Screen is Still Black

[alfredpoor]

Ever heard of LIN Media? It’s quite possible that you haven’t. It’s a company that owns local broadcast television stations across the country, from Albuquerque to Toledo. In many markets, it owns more than one station, such as the CBS and CW affiliates in Buffalo, or the NBC and ABC affiliates in Grand Rapids.
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[chester]

This is nothing new. Just that they're getting national ink over it.

LIN has been pulling this BS forever, with the cable companies, every couple of years & I think with DirecTV a while back.

Here, in Southeast VA (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, etc.), they own the NBC & Fox affiliates.

I'm really surprised that they didn't do it during the NFL season & the Super Bowl. (That's what they usually pull.)

Anyone of normal intelligence would think that a commercial broadcast company would be THRILLED to have their programming (and commercials) made available to a much larger audience/market, to better sell their local spots.

But no... these dorks think they're SPECIAL. (They may be... but only in the sense of 'special class'.)

Personally... I don't give a $#!+. I still have my antenna up, from before Dish offered us locals. (but I do kinda miss the program guide info.)

[videograbber]

> Did LIN pull them, or did DISH block them? Who knows? <

That part at least is simple enough. LIN has the rights, they pulled them, so Dish can't retransmit them. End of story.

The rest of the dispute isn't quite as clear. LIN claims they're only asking for "pennies a day (per station)" (yeah, how many pennies?), and if Dish agrees, they'll almost certainly pass those extra costs on to the viewers, many who already get the channels for free. However I will say that I don't appreciate LIN plastering their pleas to viewers to pressure Dish, ON TOP OF THE PROGRAMMING I'M ALREADY PAYING TO WATCH VIA CABLE!

But then, anyone who thinks these guys have the least shred of respect for the viewers is living in a dream world.

- Tim

[ccclvib]

I still have my antenna up, from before Dish offered us locals. (but I do kinda miss the program guide info.)

Changing the subject only a little, if you have a Dish HD receiver, there is an antenna input on the back that will not only allow you to watch the digital signal, but include the programs in the program guide. I'm not sure how that would work if the local programming is blocked from Dish, but before dish had HD channels available for the locals around here, the programming would still show in the guide.