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Starz Asks FCC for Help Ending Optimum, Suddenlink Blackout

Starz is asking for the FCC's help in settling a dispute with Altice that has resulted in Suddenlink and Optimum customers losing access to the channel. Customer of these cable operators haven't been able to access the channel since it was pulled offline in early January, after the two sides couldn't agree to a new contract without harming paying subscribers. These kinds of feuds have grown increasingly common over the last few years as broadcasters demand higher and higher rates for the same content, and cable providers (and their customers) balk at the hikes.

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Starz has since filed a petition for declaratory ruling with the FCC urging it to force Altice to return its channel to the company's Suddenlink and Optimum lineups.

In its filing Starz urged the FCC to "restore carriage of Starz, StarzEncore and Movieplex for the FCC-required 30-day notice period; correct Altice’s misleading and false disclosures regarding its deletions of Starz’s channels; and respond to consumer inquiries and complaints in compliance with FCC rules."

That's not likely to happen. Under both parties the FCC has traditionally taken a hands off, "boys will be boys" approach to these contract standoffs, even though they consistently result in consumer harm. The FCC under former boss Tom Wheeler hinted at taking action to ban blackouts as an act of poor faith negotiation, but nothing ever came of them. New FCC boss Ajit Pai is even less likely to take action.

Altice, for its part, quickly blasted Starz filing, saying the "claims are without merit and we will file our response in due course."

"We are focused on providing the best content experience for our customers and continually evaluate which channels meet their needs and preferences relative to the cost of the programming imposed by content owners," Altice said. "Given that Starz is available to all consumers directly through Starz' own over-the-top streaming service, we don't believe it makes sense to charge all of our customers for Starz programming, particularly when their viewership is declining and the majority of our customers don't watch Starz."

"We have offered and remain open to a deal with Starz to offer the content to customers who want it but they refuse," added the company.

Most recommended from 17 comments


shanghaista
join:2014-08-03
Canton, MA

19 recommendations

shanghaista

Member

Negotiations

Sounds like one side is getting desperate and losing leverage...

Starz is realizing that they're discretionary now. I'm sure they'd jump at the chance for an "as-is" deal.
kherr
Premium Member
join:2000-09-04
Collinsville, IL

15 recommendations

kherr

Premium Member

Bullshit ..

.... if your price/conditions are to high/unreasonable, you get dropped. PLAIN and SIMPLY.

The government can't FORCE someone to buy something because they don't like the terms. It's NOT like a water company shutting off water because their supplier can't come to terms with them ..... TV is NOT an essential service ...

Starz bluff has been called and must live with the consequences ...
nfotiu
join:2009-01-25

7 recommendations

nfotiu

Member

I don't get it

Starz has always been offered as an a la carte premium channel on any service I've ever had. I guess they got themselves into basic cable packages in some cable companies and want to ensure all their cable customers continue paying for their premium channel? And they want the government to step in and force that to continue? Seriously?
davidhoffman
Premium Member
join:2009-11-19
Warner Robins, GA

5 recommendations

davidhoffman

Premium Member

Starz.

The action by a cable television company to stop transmitting certain content, when they have no written legal permission to do so, is the way contract law works. No corporate legal office in its right mind would say transmit content without written legal permission to do so. The "blackout" is solely due to the actions of the content owners. If the content owners go after the cable company for breaking copyright law, transmission with no legal written permission to do so, the judge will drop the hammer on the cable company.

If the legal written contract permitting content transmission says the contract ends at 11:59:59pm then you can be assured that the transmission of that content by the cable company will probably end at 11:57:59pm. A nice 120 second buffer. Some of the cable companies that are prone to living on the edge might stop transmission at 11:58:59pm.

Starz created this problem and it is up to Starz to end it.

Anon0e092
@rr.com

4 recommendations

Anon0e092

Anon

starz is desperate

Starz is at a severe disadvantage and take any reasonable deal. No reason for the FCC to get involved as this is far from a must have service and not unavailable from multiple other sources. Now if this were a local channel with local sports teams and/or valuable local news or something that services the community then maybe the FCC should be involved. Clearly the poor management at Starz has their heads up their a$$es.

DAOWAce
join:2006-10-25
Flanders, NJ

3 recommendations

DAOWAce

Member

Wow

Oh come off it.

We've already had numerous price hikes and added fees since Altice took over Cablevision/Optimum. We don't need more BS increases from old media broadcasters forcing their service onto providers.