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Football fans losing patience may defect
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008
For Ohio State fans, the continuing battle that could leave them scrambling to find a place to watch Buckeyes games is almost as bad as being pulverized in two consecutive BCS National Championship Games.
Three of the first five games will land on the Big Ten Network this fall, and again, Time Warner Cable has no deal with the network. That means local tavern owners again will reap the benefit of Buckeye Nation's collective misery. It's easy to go into all the arguments that led to the standoff last year.
There's a big difference, however. The situation has changed — significantly. Back then, Time Warner stood arm-in-arm with its competitor, Comcast, the No. 1 video service provider in the country, to say ''no'' to what they viewed as an overdemanding rookie network.
The network asked for a $1.10 price per subscriber that it consistently said was negotiable as long as it landed in the expanded basic area of service in Big Ten Conference states. Cable companies argued that it wasn't fair for everyone to have to pay that, as if the bottom line couldn't handle it. The only guarantees in life are death, taxes and cable television rate increases.
The Big Ten Network has been firm that it remain on expanded basic, but its president, Mark Silverman, said the company needed to be flexible in that area, too. The Comcast deal, which caused no price increases for customers, allows that company to move the Big Ten Network from expanded basic service to the digital level of service after next spring.
You see, that's compromise. It's called both sides give a little, and both sides take a little. The winner, in the long run, should be the customer.
After the Comcast deal, it looked like Time Warner would actually make a concerted effort to get something done. But nada. Bubkes. Nothing's there yet.
''At this point, we need a heck of a lot of progress in a short amount of time,'' Silverman said.
The ridiculous part of this entire situation is that it should have been easier for Time Warner to get something done because the blueprint is in place. Comcast isn't Dish Network. Comcast isn't DirecTV. Comcast isn't AT&T U-verse. Comcast is No. 1.
But after dealing with this last year, Time Warner is beginning to lose its credibility when it comes to whether it's doing right by the customer.
Comcast went from having a war of words with the Big Ten Network and the conference commissioner to cutting a deal. With all due respect, I've never read a statement such as this gem from Melinda Witmer, senior vice president and chief programming officer for Time Warner Cable:
''We have people who are willing to paint their Winnebago in school colors and park themselves out there. I got to believe that they're willing to pay something extra.''
Witmer muttered those words of wisdom at the Fantasy Sports Association's Sports Media & Technology Conference last November in Westin, N.Y.
What was that about looking out for the customer? That sounds like a company looking to maximize its profit, and I would be willing to bet for Time Warner Cable, that means putting the Big Ten Network in the digital sports tier, something that would require customers to pay extra.
Part of the problem is these deals are negotiated nationally, not locally. Time Warner Cable is headquartered in that football mecca of Connecticut. The powers that be in Northeast Ohio remain hamstrung when it comes to this situation.
One source with knowledge of negotiations said that at this point, this is little more than a decision whether to flick a switch. Ultimately, Time Warner does its customers a disservice by continuing to play this game.
It's time for the cable company to put up or shut up. Carry it. Don't carry it. But let's cut the ridiculous tease already.
From this corner, it looks as if Time Warner keeps dangling the metaphorical carrot in front of football fans in the hope that subscribers will stick around, and by the time college football kicks off, the company will pull it away again.
Last week, Bill Jasso, vice president of government and media relations for Time Warner Cable, said negotiations were in the 11th hour, and that things usually get more intense.
They had better get more intense quickly or football fans who paid the price for patience last year might defect this season.
A source with AT&T said it has experienced an uptick in subscriptions this year and believe much of it is because of this ongoing spat.
For Buckeyes fans who subscribe to Time Warner Cable, it's fourth down, 40 yards to go, and it's starting to look like there is one option — punting.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
For Ohio State fans, the continuing battle that could leave them scrambling to find a place to watch Buckeyes games is almost as bad as being pulverized in two consecutive BCS National Championship Games.
Get the full article here.
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