I walked down stairs to the living room at 4:30 PM Central Time to turn on my television. It was time for Jeopardy. I was SOL.
According to AT&T's website AT&T TV Promise, which I will copy/paste here in case they pull the website, it states:
We’re disappointed to see Viacom put you in the middle of these negotiations. We strive to give our customers more choice and value, and we want to keep Viacom’s channels like Nick, Nick Jr., BET, Comedy Central, and MTV in your channel lineup. We hope to avoid any interruption to the channels that some of you care about.I checked our zip code 62704 and this popped up:
Here are the facts:
Several of Viacom’s channels are no longer popular.
Viacom’s channels in total have lost about 40% of their audience in the past six years.
Viacom is a repeat offender in these types of business negotiations and has repeatedly used these tactics with other distributors.
We care about our customers and we’ve always fought to get the best deal for you, delivering the content you want at a great value.
Our goal is always to deliver the content you want at a value that also makes sense to you. We've provided information on Viacom and how it impacts you so you can stay informed.
We’ll continue to fight for you!
Still have questions? Check here before you call.
Who is Viacom?
Viacom Inc. is a publicly traded company headquartered in New York City that owns and operates several national entertainment channels including Nick, Nick Jr., BET, Comedy Central, and MTV among others.
Is there a chance their channels will disappear from my lineup?
Viacom has threatened that their channels may not be available in the future via AT&T. Viacom has chosen to put you in the middle of their demands. We believe that you deserve better.
What channels could be affected?
Viacom has six Nickelodeon channels, six MTV channels, and five BET channels, as well as Comedy Central, Paramount Network, CMT and CMT Music, TV Land, Logo, VH1, and Spanish-language service Tr3s.
Why shouldn’t I just switch to another provider that offers these same channels?
Viacom has a history of threatening to create blackouts—temporarily cutting off supply—to boost the fees providers must pay just to get that content back. Viacom often behaves this way in its negotiations with distributors, with viewers caught in the middle, so switching providers doesn’t mean you’ll be protected from these blackouts. Millions of homes that subscribe to Charter Spectrum, DISH Network, CableOne, and others have either temporarily lost channels or been threatened before by Viacom about possibly losing those same channels.
What if I’m not here for updates about Viacom but I’m looking for information about local channels?
If you’re missing local channels from your lineup, use our ZIP Code search tool to see if there are other disputes affecting your TV service.
Results for U-verse TV in ZIP code 62704:This isn't the only problem with main-stream media. Our (formerly) local newspaper, the Illinois State Journal-Register is shedding jobs. Gatehouse Media owns the SJ-R and hundreds of other newspapers and media outlets nationwide.
There are currently negotiations that could affect your programming. You can log in to see if there is additional information specific to your account.
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We want to get WAND back into your local lineup. The station’s owner, Block Communications, is demanding a significant fee increase and has disconnected WAND’s most loyal viewers here in Champaign, Springfield and Decatur before. The fact is you can now watch all of the same shows for free over the air on channel 17 and, often, at nbc.com or using the NBC app.
We want to prevent you from enduring any extended Block blackout and continue to work toward a new agreement. We appreciate your patience and strive to deliver the content you want at a value that also makes sense to you.
CUSTOMER FAQ
Why am I missing WAND from my channel line-up?
The station’s owner, Block Communications, is demanding a significant fee increase and has disconnected WAND’s most loyal viewers here before. The fact is you can now watch all of the same shows for free over the air on channel 17 and, often, at nbc.com or using the NBC app. Broadcasters like Block were involved in approximately 165 blackouts in 2018, after setting an all-time high of more than 210 blackouts in over 120 cities the prior year, causing more than 21 million American homes at least some temporary disruption. There have already been more than 40 blackouts in the first few weeks of 2019 and more than 1,070 local blackouts this decade as stations continue to remove their signals from people’s homes in order to inflate their own fees for “free” TV. During that same time, these fees have increased more than 30 times over, even though primetime audiences for the major broadcast networks have fallen by more than half, say Independent analysts Nielsen and SNL Kagan. These fees will cost U.S. consumers $12.8 billion by 2023, up from $7.7 billion in 2016, according to SNL Kagan, representing a major 66% increase.
How soon will WAND return?
We believe business-to-business matters are best conducted in a conference room and not in the public domain. We provide more than 1,800 local TV stations across the country and want to prevent our Champaign, Springfield and Decatur customers from enduring any extended Block blackout, so continue to work toward a new agreement. We appreciate your patience and strive to deliver the content you want at a value that also makes sense to you.
Am I going to miss any NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games?
No. WAND won’t televise any tournament action into Champaign, Springfield or Decatur. CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV split first and second round coverage, and then TBS and CBS combine to televise the rest of the games. CBS Sports will provide live coverage of the Final Four on Saturday, April 6 and Championship Game on Monday, April 8. You can check ncaa.com/March-Madness-Live for the complete game schedule, including which network will televise each game.
Can’t U-verse just offer me another NBC station while Block blacks out WAND?
It’s unfortunate, but no. Block has exclusive control over which customers in Champaign, Springfield and Decatur are allowed to receive NBC regardless of which provider you choose. Block has unfortunately disconnected its most loyal viewers here before.
Why shouldn’t I just switch to another provider that offers WAND?
Service providers must work out agreements with local TV station owners like Block to deliver the news, sports and entertainment you often care to watch. Stations will often create intentional blackouts – temporarily cutting off supply – to boost the fees providers must pay just to get that content back. Block has disconnected viewers before. Different providers competing to offer you local service all typically face the same kinds of demands from Block and other local station owners in your community. Temporary dust-ups occur more frequently, and are not exclusive to U-verse. Broadcasters like Block were involved in approximately 165 blackouts in 2018, after setting an all-time high of more than 210 blackouts in over 120 cities the prior year, causing more than 21 million American homes at least some temporary disruption. There have already been more than 40 blackouts in the first few weeks of 2019 and 1,070 local blackouts this decade as stations continue to remove their signals from people’s homes in order to inflate their own fees for “free” TV. During that same time, these fees have increased more than 30 times over, even though primetime audiences for the major broadcast networks have fallen by more than half, say independent analysts Nielsen and SNL Kagan. These fees will cost U.S. consumers $12.8 billion by 2023, up from $7.7 billion in 2016, according to SNL Kagan, representing a major 66% increase.
How can I still see my favorite NBC series or events?
Many homes in Champaign, Springfield and Decatur can receive WAND by turning off their U-verse receiver and tuning their digital TV to channel 17. Station owners like Block will often give away digital antennas to boost viewers’ reception, so you may want to contact WAND about that. NBC often streams primetime series online at nbc.com and to fans using the NBC app. NBC Sports often streams events live at nbcsports.com or to fans using the NBC Sports app. Please check online for availability in your area. These are only a few short-term alternatives, but we’re working with Block to get WAND back as soon as we can.
Will I be able to receive WAND’s over the air digital signal inside my home?
Block must deliver a strong digital signal across the whole community, so many homes in Champaign, Springfield and Decatur should be able to turn off their U-verse receiver and tune their digital TV sets to channel 17. You can also boost your reception with an inexpensive tabletop antenna available at most local electronics stores or also online. Mountains and other natural obstructions can sometimes come between your home and wherever Block chose to locate its transmitters, making reception more difficult.
According to the Illinois Times Gatehouse has been laying off staff from local newspapers as far back as I could find, 2011. Then they sent a memo proclaiming good news about technology that would bring back profitability, which eventually allowed Gatehouse to consolidate copy editing to a few regional hubs, thereby rendering local copy editing positions redundant.
The SJ-R has a handful of local journalists and columnists willing to work while their coworkers get tossed under the bus. but at this point it's an irretrievable downward spiral.
Block Communications was getting paid by cable carriers and advertisers, but advertisers are fleeing television and newspapers for Internet based social media platforms like Facebook, etc.
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