Wednesday, February 19, 2014
2014 Will Include Many Cable Programming Issues and Decisions
10:55 AM | 
Posted by
Billy Ray |
There is a new link on our website that we hope you have
noticed and clicked, www.tvonmyside.com The Glasgow EPB, along with every other
cable company in the country, will be dealing with many issues this year
related to cable programming and the outlandish rates many of the programmers
will be requesting. Just in case you may
have forgotten, or were unaware, over 90% of the channels on the EPB cable
service require that we pay a monthly fee for the right to carry their
programming. Some programming already carries a rate of more than $5.00 per
subscriber/per month, for one channel! Preliminary estimates have suggested that programmers
will request increases this year of 100%, or more, for some channels. We
purchase the majority of our programming through a cooperative called NCTC. The new link is provided by NCTC to help
educate and inform all cable customers of the ongoing negotiations with these
various programmers.
Added to this already confusing mix is the fact that we must
negotiate with the broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.), to carry them on
our cable service. These are the same
channels that just a few short years ago we received via antenna directly into
our homes and who negotiated a wonderful deal so that they use our public
airwaves for free. Every three
years each cable service across the country must renegotiate with these programmers,
and unfortunately 2014 finds all of us in that process again. We currently pay well over $10,000 per month
just for these channels. One more thing to remember, all of the money for
programming is removed from the Glasgow economy and sent to a corporation whose
CEO typically receives multi-million dollar pay packages.
We’re going to be talking to you a lot in the coming months,
and we want your input as we try to make these difficult and costly
decisions. You can always reach us at epb@glasgow-ky.com or on our FB page at
Glasgow Electric Plant Board. Or you may contact any of the following local
citizens serving on our Programming Committee and who make final
recommendations to our Board of Directors relative to all programming matters:
Petie McLean, Joe Trigg, Mary Burchett-Bower, Beverly Vance, Karl Napier and
Jodi Crane.
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2 comments:
If i could cancel my cable and keep the internet i would. Nothing on TV worth watching except a handfull of shows.
I love watching TV. With that stated, I'm prepared to recognize that is is just that "TV." I don't want to have to reduce my cable package or miss some of my favorite shows but the way it sounds the only way we as a whole can have any impact is to NOT buy their product. Which is what I find myself thinking about more and more. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if EPB decided not to have WBKO or any other nearby stations on our services because they are being unreasonable.