Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 29, 1993 TAG: 9307290238
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Robert Lee, president and general manager of Channel 7, said Wednesday that the station will begin charging 17 cable systems 57 cents per subscriber per month.
Lee said he expects to reach agreements with Cox Cable Roanoke and Salem Cable, the companies serving the Roanoke Valley, so there will be no changes in the Roanoke metropolitan area.
But he told the Regional Cable Television Committee that some cable systems, including the one in Lynchburg, may not agree to the charge.
Under the 1992 Cable Act, cable operators must obtain the permission of television stations to retransmit their programs, including newscasts.
Until now, cable companies didn't have to pay local television stations for their programs or get their permission.
Television stations long have contended that this was unfair because cable systems have to pay for all other programming, such as ESPN, Discovery, USA, CNBC or HBO.
The law requiring cable companies to get permission to use local stations' programming will take effect Oct. 6.
Cox Cable Roanoke, which has 52,000 customers in Roanoke, Vinton and Roanoke County, will have to pay WDBJ nearly $356,000 a year.
Under the terms of the law, the cable company cannot pass the charges along to its customers in the next year. But it can require customers to pay any future increases in the fees. Cox will also be required to get the permission of WSLS-Channel 10, WSET-Channel 13 and WJPR-Channels 21/27 to retransmit their programs.
Johnny Benson, plant operations manager, said Cox doesn't want to lose any of the television stations. He said the company will have to absorb the cost for the stations' programs, but he would not discuss negotiations with WDBJ or any other station.
Roanoke City Councilman Howard Musser said the Regional Cable Television Committee will not get involved in the negotiations between the television stations and the cable company.
"We will stay out of that. It's something that is outside our purview," said Musser, chairman of the committee.
Lee said Channel 7 is broadcast on 84 cable systems, including 41 systems in the Roanoke-Lynchburg market that could be required to pay for the right to retransmit the station's programs.
But WDBJ will charge only 17 cable systems that sell their own advertising, Lee said. If cable operators are making money off Channel 7's programming, the station believes it should be compensated, he said.
"I don't think we will have a problem with Cox Cable," he told the committee, but added there could be problems with some systems.
"There may be some ringing telephones in October," he said.
If a cable company refuses to pay and loses Channel 7, Lee said, there could be complaints by some subscribers.
If cable systems drop WDBJ, viewers may be reminded that they can get the station with an antenna, Lee said.
"In the long run, consumers might have to pay more, but that is not something we have any control over," said Michelle Bono, Roanoke public information officer and a committee member.
by CNB