Nexstar in Flap With DIRECTV and AT&T-UVerse

[Realist]

How did TV stations who get their licenses from the FCC get to charge cable, streaming or satellite services for carrying their signal when anyone in the stations broadcast radius can get it over the air with an antenna? Are the rebroadcast entities inserting their own commercials?

The local TV stations make the claim that the programming they offer--even when they merely relay network programming--is something of value and therefore they are entitled to compensation. Some of this dates back to the old analog days when over-the-air stations often had static or ghosting. Getting the video quality of local stations at the same level as cable channels was a big deal.

Putting up an antenna is usually not a big deal, but it is inconvenient enough to stop most people from doing it. You often have overly-aggressive homeowners associations getting in the way. People prefer the convenience of having everything provided on the same box. They will gladly pay extra for it. They don't want to have to press the "Input" button to switch between local and cable/satellite stations. Too complicated.

The satellite and cable providers could help some, but they won't. I used to have a Dish Network receiver that seamlessly integrated satellite and over-the-air signals on one DVR. That stopped these retransmission disputes from affecting me. However, I don't think those two-input DVRs are common anymore.

My in-laws recently had a Televés antenna installed by their satellite providers, at no charge. The thing that surprised me was that what I had thought was a satellite-only receiver also receives ATSC terrestrial stations and integrates the terrestrial channels into the program guide.

The active antenna has two outputs - so I ran a cable from it to the TV itself. If there should be a retransmission dispute or an ice storm, Papaw can still watch the Superb Owl.

Do they have DirecTV or Dish?

[Deleted User 9653]

The local TV stations make the claim that the programming they offer--even when they merely relay network programming--is something of value and therefore they are entitled to compensation. Some of this dates back to the old analog days when over-the-air stations often had static or ghosting. Getting the video quality of local stations at the same level as cable channels was a big deal.

Putting up an antenna is usually not a big deal, but it is inconvenient enough to stop most people from doing it. You often have overly-aggressive homeowners associations getting in the way. People prefer the convenience of having everything provided on the same box. They will gladly pay extra for it. They don't want to have to press the "Input" button to switch between local and cable/satellite stations. Too complicated.

I can't help but chuckle and smirk every time I read press releases from broadcasters about their side of the story in these disputes - they ALWAYS say about their "very highly-rated programming", (emphasis on 'highly-rated' mine) even if the vast majority of their programming slate, including their network, gets overall dismal ratings (sometimes to the point of dead last coming out of the most recent Sweeps).

As for the 'too complicated to press Input' excuse... I actually now wonder if that's the big reason why, according to every single news article on the subject, nobody wants to buy DVDs or Blu-Ray Discs anymore. Even if physical media is obsolete these days, no one will ever convince me that streaming TV shows and movies over the Internet, whether it be through Netflix, Amazon Prime (Amazon won't ever get one red cent from me if I can help it), and the like is "superior" to DVDs/Blu-rays. (Besides, what if the the purported "Internet kill switch" is flipped and the entire United States, or perhaps the entire world ends up having Internet access cut off for some certain reason? Any sane person would want to have physical DVDs of whatever shows or movies they like (in addition to CDs and perhaps even cassette tapes and vinyl of their favorite music) to keep themselves occupied if there's nothing they can do about things (e.g. their job being dependent on a reliable Internet connection) in that situation?)

[MasterB]

I saw an hour ago that Wood TV & WOTV have returned on AT&T & DirecTV. I thought that once football season was going to start Nexstar and AT&T would reach an agreement.