Mediacom → [MO] is it true mediacom will be dropping all fox channels?

I keep seeing commercials about this--was wondering if its true? or is it fear mongering by dish providers?

Losing Fox Sports Midwest would probably make be immediately terminate my mediacom subscription.

I haven't seen any commercials yet. Are you sure these aren't related to the Sinclair retransmission agreement talks? I know some of the Sinclair stations are Fox affiliates, at least here in Iowa. If so, then these are referring to actual Fox affiliate over-the-air stations, and not the extended Fox family of sports channels, etc.

The present agreement with Sinclair and Mediacom ends 12/31 at midnight. So there it's possible, but more likely another agreement with come. There is a new law and bill trying to get pushed by the cable and sat providers to prevent people like Sinclair from doing what they are doing.

FINALLY!
Can you find a source?
I really wonder when this crap with endless rate increases will end no thanks to ESPN, Fox etc? Just waiting for the industry to fail eventually people are going to say a big F-U and drop Cable/Sat.
I can't even imagine in ten years when it will cost $150+ just for exp basic!

I saw an ad about it on tv the other day. Looking for in foe info now. Here is something that might help.

»www.wickedlocal.com/belm ··· onsumers

I sure hope so!

The agreement ends on December 31, but we've not heard anything of late (that I've seen), and it would be one hell of a drop in the Des Moines area since Sinclair covers Fox and CBS here.

Personally, I find it kind of funny that Mediacom doesn't just pay these guys the minimal amount they're after. It's not like they don't raise our rates every year anyways!

Sinclair is a JOKE!. They can't even auto switch from FOX HD to local network HD automatically. When KDSM FOX 17 stops a program during commercial breaks they always have green lines and bad audio when ever I watch there promo's etc.
It can't be just me.

I've never had a problem with that. The only problem I've seen with Fox was last Thursday with Bones, where they started about 20 seconds late or so.

Sinclair does not own the FOX and CBS stations in Des Moines. They only have KDSM Fox 17.

It's Iowa City that they have both the FOX and CBS Stations.

And I would gladly do without FOX. Sinclair is a joke. They don't even do their own news cast.

The only time I would miss FOX is for football and I can pull it OTA so who cares anymore. Tell Sinclair to take a hike

wow and it keeps getting worse for Columbia, MO. folks:
»www.columbiatribune.com/ ··· ng-deal/

looks like we could also lose our NBC affiliate. LAME!!!

It could be because if I understand this right Mediacom, receives (off air) the QAM HD signals from the TV stations in the Des Moines area. From antenna's and then sends it on the cable, vs the analog signal which is carried on the cable direct from KDSM as well as the HD signal to the DCT/DTA
I can clarify if needed.

The TV stations have a direct feed to Mediacom, so any delay at the start of a program would be from the station. I see ads that KCCI and DirecTV are in talks.

For what its worth, Fox Sports MW is not part of the retransmission consent agreement with sinclair.

Twhiting- it is incorrect that Sinclair has CBS in the Des Moines market. Per Sinclairs website they only have Fox 17. If Sinclair owned CBS as well, it would be the KCCI channel 8 news at 9 on Fox, not WHO 13 news at 9 on fox. Regardless- if you follow industry trends it is not a pittance that Sinclair is asking for. They have had outrageous increases year after year- and are in fact trying to get premium channel money- such as ESPN, BIG 10, etc, for a channel that is OTA free for most consumers. Now while I don't think they should give away the rights, Mediacom should have to pay for them, they don't need to charge, and are not worth, the dollars and cents that they are asking for. And if it was Mediacom's issue, why is it that Comcast, Dish, DirecTv, etc. all also have public debates with Sinclair on this. The fact is that Sinclair does not support their local affiliates well- here in Des Moines they have constant issues going from HD to SD and back, which no other local affiliate has. Sinclair does not keep their affiliates updated with current technology- see the earlier comments made about channel 13 not being able to put their HD broadcast for the news at 9 through because channel 17 doesn't support it. So we have poorly run stations- with content that is getting less and less relevant- entire new cast of a run down show called American Idol, poor ratings, the infamous Friday night death slot on Fox, etc, trying to charge more than any other local affiliate that has better content and better technology. Someone has to say no to Sinclair eventually, as every carrier fights with them. While it is fair to say in many arguments there are two parties involved, as Sinclair is always one of the parties in multiple arguments, the evidence stacks up against them. The only party other than Sinclair I have ever heard of Mediacom negotiating with was the Big 10 network when they first got them, when the Big 10 network wanted to be on a general tier and Mediacom wanted them on a sports pak tier. Now that was public, but was never as bad- no TV commercials, etc, and was resolved several years ago and we haven't heard a thing since. Given all of this, yes, it is Sinclair that needs to change their ways, shape up, or be dropped. I for one would love to see carriers drop Sinclair. I don't think it would hurt Mediacom, Dish, DirecTv, etc that much, and trying to survive off of Ad dollars alone Sinclair would be bankrupt and gone w/in 2 years. Maybe then we could get a quality affiliate/carrier to take their place.

You're right, it's not DSM they have both Fox and CBS in, it's Cedar Rapids. Either way, it affects me.Costs go up in any business. What, you expect those costs to just be eaten by the business? In the past year alone, my own (business) costs have gone up 10%. What, am I NOT supposed to pass that on to my customers?
As well, any forward looking company looks to expand technology. These costs must be included in future contracts.

In both cases, the cost was minimal. Again, I don't recall the exact details, but at last check, it was less than $1 per customer per month. Seriously, pass the cost onto the customer (or just eat it yourself), and move on with things.

Mediacom nickel and dimes their customers to death, but they won't stand for it being done to them? Seriously??

Seriously. Only a few channels get a per subscriber fee and the Sinclair channels are vastly inferior to the other ones who charge a fee.

I have no idea about sinclair contract thing--I'm talking about local to Columbia, Mo....

According to the commercial:
Fox
Fox Sports Mdiwest
Fox Soccer
Fox College Sports
Speed

Then according to a separate commercial:
NBC (Affiliate KOMU)

thats as much as I know...both claim to have some sort of expiring agreement on 12.31.10.

Sinclair should be paying mediacom for the major increase in viewership being on mediacom's system brings. Mediacom keeps caving on this, but if they and other cable systems would hold out eventually Sinclair would take the biggest hit as their advertising revenue (based on viewership in large part coming from those cable audiences) would plummet.

Wednesday, Sinclair & Mediacom reached a two-year retransmission consent agreement with Mediacom Communications for 22 stations in 16 markets.

Found out the commercial I was talking about.

»www.americantelevisional ··· nce.com/

This is about the retransmission fees and what not.