A little piece of news out of the world of cable TV affects a large number of people in the OMW coverage area…
COMCASTTWC: In a deal the companies say is valued at over $45 billion, cable giant Comcast is swallowing another cable giant, Time Warner Cable.
The deal presumably includes TWC’s giant Northeast Ohio system, by far the dominant cable provider in this area.
We say “presumably” because Comcast has promised to divest systems that serve about 3 million customers, to help speed along federal approval of the deal.
From here, we can’t see the Time Warner systems locally being in that bunch.
The TWC “Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania” systems fit like a glove with Comcast’s operations in Western Pennsylvania, most notably in the Pittsburgh region.
Comcast also operates in New Castle PA, near Time Warner’s systems in the Youngstown and Sharon PA areas.
Comcast specifically mentions Ohio in its press release, which lists Comcast services (Xfinity cable, cloud DVR, etc.)…and Time Warner services it’ll pick up for the new, expanded system:
Time Warner Cable owns cable systems located in key geographic areas, including New York City, Southern California, Texas, the Carolinas, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Time Warner Cable will combine its unique products and services with Comcast’s, including StartOver, which allows customers to restart a live program in progress to the beginning, and LookBack, which allows customers to watch programs up to three days after they air live, all without a DVR. Time Warner Cable also has been a leader in the deployment of community Wi-Fi, and will combine its more than 30,000 hotspots, primarily in Los Angeles and New York City, and its in-home management system, IntelligentHome, with Comcast’s offerings.
Then, there’s the down side. From the “Stop the Cap” site, which is dedicated to trying to stop broadband data caps:
The rest of us (using the non-divested systems) can say goodbye to our unlimited broadband plans and get ready to pay substantially more for cable and broadband service. Despite claims from remarkably shallow media reports, an analysis of Comcast and Time Warner Cable’s rates clearly show TWC charges lower prices with fewer “gotcha” fees.
Worried about data caps (around 300GB per month, says “Stop the Cap”) and higher prices?
Take a deep breath.
It took just over a year for Comcast to take control of NBCUniversal, after going through intensive government scrutiny. It took another two years for Comcast to take over 100% of it.
Though Comcast and TWC don’t “compete with each other” directly, since old-line cable systems rarely do, this deal may see even more scrutiny than Comcast’s acquisition of NBCUniversal.
And, as happened there, the company may make consumer-friendly concessions to move things along in Washington.
One side effect here: Comcast has promised “protection” to NBC affiliates in Time Warner markets regarding the issue of retransmission consent negotiations.
TVNewsCheck has more:
Asked to elaborate on what Comcast meant by the statement — and on what impact the merger might have on the pay TV industry’s campaign to reform retransmission consent, a Comcast spokesperson said: “Nothing about this deal changes the way Comcast will deal with retransmission consent negotiations. Once the deal closes TWC will be part of Comcast and thus our practices will govern.”
TWC has been an aggressive proponent of retransmission consent reform while Comcast, with its ownership of NBCUniversal, has been largely neutral on the issue.
We’re not entirely sure what all that means, but the fear by some is that Comcast wants to protect its own financial interests on the broadcast side…by generally getting higher and higher retransmission consent fees to bring money into that side of its house.
We do know that when Comcast tries to sell the deal in Washington, it’ll point to competitive TV providers in muting the “cable monopoly” part of the deal.
Here in Northeast Ohio, AT&T’s “U-verse” is such a provider, though it’s not available in many areas.
The Washington Post has an excellent “what happens to my service” article here, attempting to answer questions for current Time Warner customers.
As for now, as we said earlier, the current answer is “nothing, yet”, as Comcast tries to win government approval…
FEDER WEIGHS IN: Few people outside Northeast Ohio know Bill Applegate as well, professionally, as Chicago media guru Robert Feder.
And upon learning of Applegate’s retirement from Reserve Square after 13 years of running Raycom CBS affiliate WOIO/19 and MyNetwork TV affiliate WUAB/43, Feder weighed in on Applegate and his time in Chicago.
It was a successful run at two of that market’s big network affiliates, Feder says…noting that his “old friend” Applegate left an “indelible mark” in turning around two network flagships, first as news director at ABC-owned WLS/7, then in his return to Chicago as vice president and general manager at CBS-owned WBBM/2:
How did he do it? Bold, brash and wickedly brilliant, Applegate was willing to try almost anything to draw a crowd. He sent millionaire anchorman Walter Jacobson, disguised in beard and tatters, out on the street as a homeless man. He “suggested” that his female anchors ditch their tailored suits in favor of tight-fitting silk blouses. He ran nightly lottery drawings during the news, punctuated with flashing lights and pulsating music. And above all, he emphasized stories about crime, sex and celebrities ad infinitum.
Sound familiar, “19 Action News” viewers?
Indeed, Feder notes Applegate’s “hard-hitting station editorials” at Reserve Square, saying the 67 year-old broadcast veteran “hasn’t mellowed much” in his 13 years in Cleveland.
Oh, yeah, there’s this:
Although widely credited with transforming his stations into a local powerhouse, he’ll be leaving under a cloud thanks to a lawsuit filed last month by a former station sales employee accusing management of creating a sexually hostile work environment. Applegate, who was named in the suit, denied the allegations.
As far as the “local powerhouse” line, well, we’re not sure we’d use that line here. The station’s 11 PM newscast has garnered ratings primarily due to the strong CBS network lead-in.
From what we’ve heard, ratings for “19 Action News” are middling to poor in other dayparts, but we don’t have the actual numbers in front of us.
But for example, the morning TV news race in Cleveland is basically owned by Tribune Fox affiliate WJW/8’s “Fox 8 News in the Morning”, and all the other stations (including WOIO) are picking up the scraps left behind.
And does the departure of the King of Cleveland Tabloid TV News mean a different direction for WOIO/WUAB?
Well, the addition of former WKYC anchor Romona Robinson has many thinking that “19 Action News” has less of a tabloid feel already.
We’ll have to see if Applegate’s departure prompts the Raycom corporate folks in Alabama to take another look at news on their largest market station…
SPEAKING OF RESERVE SQUARE: We noted the recent redesign of the “19 Action News” set, and even provided a screen grab, in a recent item.
How’d you like to take the old WOIO/WUAB news set home?
No, we’re not kidding.
Beginning Monday Feb 10., one lucky Facebook fan will soon add the old 19 Action News set to their finished basement. The anchor desk will also be autographed by all of the 19 Action News anchors.
You can enter by, well, “liking” the station’s Facebook page through February 28th.
Long-time friend and colleague Scott Fybush (“NorthEast Radio Watch”) has already joked about measuring his house to see where the “Action News” set could go.
(Think he’s kidding? Casa Fybush has many other broadcast artifacts, including radio transmitter panels.)
But if Scott were to win the contest to take home the former “19 Action News” set, he’d have to arrange for shipping to Rochester.
The winner will have to arrange to pick up the set from our studios in Cleveland.
And before you ask, no, we have no access to any vehicle that could even fit part of the set for hauling to Rochester…
