Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 6, 1993 TAG: 9310060060
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: C6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MELANIE S. HATTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Simmons Cable TV in Radford was the last to finish agreements as Tuesday's deadline approached. Simmons signed with Roanoke's WSLS, an NBC affiliate, and Fox affiliate WJPR/WVFT.
The region's cable operators stuck to their guns, refusing to pay cash demanded by the local stations to rebroadcast their signals. But most of the television stations got something for their trouble. Each contract was kept confidential, but sources said compensation often took the form of advertising the stations on cable channels.
WDBJ was steadfast in its request for cash, but in the end the Roanoke station got only an agreement from cable companies to reopen the negotiations within three years at its request.
So, was it worth all the haggling and the flood of commercials and advertisements that had the broadcasters and cable operators pointing fingers at each other?
"On one hand," said Gretchen Shine, vice president and general manager at Cox Cable Roanoke, "I don't think it was worth it from the eyes of the customer watching this tennis match.
"The consumer was put through a bunch of hurdles that wasn't necessary."
On the other hand, she said, each side has a greater understanding of the other.
Broadcasters can better appreciate cable's ability to enhance their signals and reach more people than over-the-air broadcasts. And Shine understands that local stations are more than just news and weather. "Each station has a personality," she said. "People have fond feelings for these stations."
Under legislation approved last year, television stations had until today to reach an agreement with cable systems on what, if any, compensation they wanted in return for carrying their signals. If a deal wasn't made by the midnight deadline, local stations' signals would disappear from the cable systems.
The Roanoke-Lynchburg television market may have been a little ahead of other parts of the state. Some stations in Hampton Roads and Richmond still were negotiating Tuesday.
This summer, WDBJ publicly stated it wanted 57 cents per subscriber per month from about 15 of the cable systems in the region. The figure was a starting point for negotiation, said WDBJ General Manager Bob Lee. Cable systems insisted on no cash deals, but their counteroffers weren't useful to his station, Lee said.
He has no regrets about the past three months. It was the first time broadcasters and cable operators had to do this, he said, and it was "a nice rehearsal." In three years, the contracts expire.
In the end, it come down to simply wanting to get it finished.
Both cable companies and television stations were hearing from viewers who wanted the situation resolved. So what if some people called the cable companies spoiled monopolies and some called the TV stations greedy?
"They had certain programs they didn't want to miss," Shine said. They told her: "Just get it done."
by CNB