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Verizon drops Channel 25 from Fios in licensing tiff
By adamg on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 12:04am
Fans of Fox programs and other WFXT offerings who subscribe to Verizon Fios have to find another way to get their fix - the cable provider dropped the channel today as Verizon and 'FXT's parent company, Cox Media, wrangle over licensing. WFXT reports people can still watch the station over the air or via an app.
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Comments
Fun times
I love battles between large corporations where they use their own customers as a negation tactic and either way the customer will get a screwed with higher costs in the end.
I'm still baffled that all TV hasn't gone directly to streaming but thanks to the death of net neutrality, we get to pay extra for that too.
I don't think they view us as "customers"
...so much as "raw material that we make money out of."
That's not quite what net neutrality is about
With net neutrality, most data traffic has to be treated the same (there are some exceptions for network management and services like voice over IP if memory serves). So a broadband provider can't pick or choose which data traffic is exempt from a data cap or which data traffic gets charged more for "priority" -- i.e. the disputes where ISPs deprioritized Netflix traffic to force Netflix into paying for peering arrangements, or ISPs like Comcast, Verizon, or AT&T allowing customers to stream from their wholly-owned video services without uncurring usage under their data caps.
Net neutrality wouldn't force ISPs to eliminate data caps -- it would just keep them from favoring their own products by exempting them from the caps.
Neutrality
The loss of Net Neutrality will lead to more limited and/or expensive offerings for both consumers and content providers. It's a way of giving more money and control to Verizon and Comcast since they'll be able to effectively charge more or limit the bandwidth so much as to make some sites unusable. Even if they don't block sites, limiting (deprioritizing) traffic going to some sites is the same thing.
similar tiff between DirecTV (ATT) and channel 5
A message for DIRECTV subscribers
Fox raised their fees
A lot of smaller providers are apparently considering whether to keep carrying Fox, since the network raised its fees.
fans of Fox News?
The only Fox News programming on WFXT is one hour of Fox News Sunday hosted by Chris Wallace on Sunday mornings which is not the typical FNC viewer's cup of tea. I'd expect you of all people to appreciate the difference.
True
Changed the reference to "Fox programs."
Boston 25 News
Channel 25 has dropped the Fox name from its local news product, branding it as Boston 25 News.
I had thought that the FCC's
I had thought that the FCC's must-carry rule required cable systems to carry all local broadcasts stations.
It turns out that this is an option for stations, if they want to provide content for free. But they can opt to negotiate for a fee, and refuse to allow rebroadcast if they can't come to an agreement with the cable operator.
What I don't know is whether the station's commercials will get played, or if the cable system is allowed to splice in its own commercials instead.
net neutrality
yeah, thanks fcc for allowing this. when all sports goes on payper view im cutting the cord. not enough cable cos thats why there is no competition nationwide. a few cos and ricj people control us.
Antennas anyone?
It amazes me how many people have not tried just using an antenna for local channels since the switch to DTV. The experience is a million times better than tuning into an old analog station and the quality is actually superior to most cable/satellite feeds.
I had a roommate who moved in once and saw me watching tv using an antenna and asked if it was legal...
I live in a valley area North
I live in a valley area North West of Boston. I get no reception with an HD antennae. I have tried. So Mr. amazing, it's not always an option!
aahhh.... Momentarily
aahhh.... Momentarily basking in the memories of my little black&white, portable, circa 70s, analog, solid-state, rabbit ears, Worcester college apartment, pull-in all Boston-Providence-southern NH broadcast stations tv...
.
.
....starts crying in my Channel 27 movies...
I was briefly out of work in
I was briefly out of work in 2012 and decided to cut the cable cord... best thing I ever did. I bought a $70 antenna (one of the really nice ones, still less than one months cable bill) and signed up for Netflix and never looked back. 2020 I still have the antenna mounted to my wall picking up dozens of random stations.
The hardest part is trying to negotiate a rate with Comcast that does not include cable every two years. They keep trying to sneak in a super cheap "starter" package , sometimes it is free, and I say no.
Cable is one of the worst wastes of money IMO. All the things you want to see most seem to cost extra money and all you get for the fee are stations you can get ANYWAY and random 300 stations of noise. Why not just sign up for HBO online for a few months every year to catch up on shows and use HULU to keep up with everything?
The "free" starter package isn't free, either!
Scumcast currently charges $14.10 as a "Broadcast TV Fee" and $8.75 as a "Regional Sports Network Fee." Plus you can't take the "free" TV package without paying an additional $5/month for a TV box. And unless you go out and buy a cable modem (which you should, unless you take their phone service) they also charge $14/month for their modem. So that $80/month they advertise very quickly becomes $130/month -- and that's with the promotional discount! After two years the price will be more like $200/month!
They're even scummier because they won't disclose all the huge fees until you've given them all your info (credit card, SSN). If any of the equipment you rent from them breaks, they'll charge you a "Self-Install Fee" to replace it -- or an even higher fee to send out a tech.
Anyone with half a brain should run away as fast as they can from the cable companies with their hidden fees and shoddy customer service.
Name an alternative to comcast or verizon
RCN doesn't service Forest Hills...open for suggestions... - Curious about cable in FH
Try fixed wireless
Check if netBlazr or Starry is an option at your location. We switched to netBlazr two years ago and it's been pretty great: it saves a ton of money, bandwidth is what's promised, and reliability has been better than I expected (we've occasionally lost signal in very severe downpours, but rarely). And man it felt good to turn off Comcast.
You can get some of those charges waived
Personally, I complain enough about anything that I'm being "opted" into that they just wave the fees and I've never had to pay for a TV box or anything else. It is a huge hassle though and irritating to have to continually do it every time the contract renews.
Thats the kicker, every
Thats the kicker, every single time you go for a new contract you have to fight them on every point again. Plus they will try to get to you in the middle of the contract cycle with all the talk of free this and that , that dismantles all your hard work.
I remember one of my most frustrated moments was spending hours at my parents house fighting with Comcast room to room getting it all set up , buying them a modem and just really reducing the payments only to find out a month later they had one minor little issue that was easily fixed but Comcast used it as a chance to rush into their home, install their own equipment and undo half of the plans I helped them set up.
verizon rip off
VERIZON CANCELS FOX ON THERE Cable package because of contract problems,with no notice to customers. CORPORATE GREED AGAIN AT WORK.
Yep
Fox's corporate greed precipitated this. Verizon didn't immediately accept the fee increase and pass it on to their customers, so now you blame them.
No, it's not fox
Wrong. The station isn't owned by fox anymore.
Drove by this AM
In Dedham...signs still say FOX 25.
Cox owns FOX 25
Do you think a person named McDonald owns every McDonald's restaurant? Just waiting for the sign person to come on down and put up the new owner's name?
losing fox channel on verizon
verizon should compensate customers for loss of channel
verizon deletes fox
YEAH VERIZON DIDNT HAVE THE GUTS TO EMAIL ITS CUSTOMERS ABOUT THIS CHANGE. HOPE THEIR PHONES ARE RINGING OFF THE HOOK, AND YOUR ANSWER SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WE WOULD HEAR FROM OUR LOSER PRESIDENT SO CALLED KING TRUMP WHO IS A CORPORATE PERSON. LIKE IT REALLY IS IF IT WASNT FOR THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE HE WOULDNT BE THERE.
The greed is from the venture capitalists who bought Fox 25
Venture capitalists Apollo Global Management bought Fox 25 along with some other stations in the Cox Media Group for $3 billion. Now Apollo wants to get more money from cable providers for carrying the station. "The ability to increase revenue from retransmission consent agreements with distributors was one of the reasons Apollo thought buying into the station business was a good investmen," according to Broadcasting+Cable. I'm not a big Verizon fan - every time I see my bill I can't believe how much I pay for Internet and TV - but in this case I blame Cox Media for thinking they could charge whatever they want for local TV.
Fortunately, I'm old enough to remember the days of watching TV over the air. We just plugged in an old antenna and voila, ready for Sunday's NFC playoffs. Walmart has antennas for $10 or $15.
If you live in a house that's 40 or more years old, chances are fairly good there was a way to get over-the-air broadcast television, although it may have been with a roof antenna.
Does anyone know what WFXT
Does anyone know what WFXT charges a cable provider per subscriber? I figure the providers don't want to disclose these these prices. I'm just wondering if there's a breakdown somwhere.
Which is the lessor evil?
Recently switched to FIOS since Comcast refused to provide internet only - but were happy to jack up the price. Between the FIOS failure in the first two weeks, and bait and switch with a cell account Verizon proved to be just as good as Comcast where customers are concerned...
The salesperson's lament: "I could get my work done if it wasn't for all the customers." As noted earlier, customers are just raw material for producing cash.
RCN not available in your area?
We feel lucky to have them as our provider. ;-)
Comcast refused?
They did? That's really stupid. I've had their Internet service only for years, and they must be making money providing it. They've even given up trying to get me to sign up for one of their package deals.