KCTV-5 is at an impasse with DirecTV and U-verse
 

Chiefs fans might want an antenna: KCTV-5 is at an impasse with DirecTV and U-verse

SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 3:29 PM

DirecTV or U-Verse customers who plan on watching the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers on KCTV-5 on Sunday afternoon might want to have a Plan B.

The local station and the cable TV providers, owned by AT&T, are nearing a deadline on a new contract. If they don’t reach a deal, DirecTV and AT&T’s U-verse will drop KCTV-5 from their offerings on Friday.

That puts the Chiefs game, and everything else people watch on Meredith Corp.-owned KCTV-5, in jeopardy.

The issue is how much the local station wants — and the cable provider is willing to pay — for the right to retransmit programming. KCTV-5 is a CBS affiliate, which means it gets to carry the NFL game. No KCTV-5, no game.


We don’t know the details of the negotiations, but both sides are in spin mode.

“The rates that we are asking for from AT&T and DirecTV are far less than AT&T and DirecTV pay for niche cable networks from New York and Los Angeles that have lower viewership than our stations in this local market,” says a statement posted on KCTV’s website.

The station says it needs to be adequately compensated to produce local programming, such as news. It reminds viewers that AT&T and DirecTV charge customers for local programming on their monthly bill.

DirecTV has this to say on its website:

“Fewer people watch shows on local stations than ever before, but broadcasters continue to demand everyone pay more to get the few shows they do watch,” the statement said.

“When contract disputes arise over station owners’ unnecessary increases in what you should pay for these free over-the-air stations, DirecTV will never remove them from your lineup. Period. Station owners may try to avoid their responsibilities to you, but make no mistake: the station owners are the only ones who can decide to take away your local stations.”

Such standoffs are not unusual. The current one is also affecting Meredith-owned local stations in other cities, such as Atlanta and Nashville.

In 2012, KCTV-5 and Time Warner Cable went to the brink before reaching a decision that avoided the local station and its sister KSMO from going dark on that cable provider. At the same time, an impasse between Time Warner and KMBC-TV caused that station and its sisters to go dark for nearly 10 days.

As current negotiations continue, KCTV-5 reminds viewers they can always watch its programs for free with an antenna.

Butt****ing morons.

:facepalm:

I'm pretty happy with Google Fiber so far, but if this happened with them, I'd be furious.

It happens to every content provider.

Hughes media is the ****ing devil when it comes to these things. KCTV is owned by Meredith though and I don't know anything about their history in rebroadcast negotiations.

This happens every time. ATT tries to bully its way with how many subscribers they have and they eventually meet in the middle.

antenna solves the problem. :)

AT&T/DirecTV are the worst in negotiations. The station almost always comes down at some point.

I have been a Direct TV subscriber for 20 years now and they have gone to shit since ATT acquired them.

Might be watching the game on a 32 inch TV in a guest bedroom I guess since it is the only one hooked up on antenna.

Move the antenna? :shrug:

**** Direct TV and AT&T.

99% guarantee reception my ass. Why the **** is it that 1% just happens during a Royals game 8th inning and cloudy & rainy makes the digital go bad. Motha **** you​ Direct TV.

**** these mother****ers and their ****ing games. So glad I cut off the ****ers.

My huge Vizio doesn't even have a tuner. LMAO


I don't live up there, though. Good to go.

Cut the cord. Been happy for over a year.

I wonder how much they do pay each station to carry programming. My DISH charges $10 a month for all local stations, so if you divide that by the 5 companies in KC (I'm sure PBS gets less), it's about $2 per month for each, minus whatever transport/satellite charges. We lost KMBC (ABC) and it's sister station 29 for over a month earlier this year.