Cox to get KOCB-34 and KOKH-25 in HD

[SoonerDave]

Good news for those of us in the HD/cable world...

Cox Communications has reached retransmission agreements with Sinclair Communications, owners of KOKH/Fox 25 and KOCB-34, including rights for HD retransmission. The agreement covers four years.

Supposedly, Cox can start up either or both channels very quickly if not immediately, perhaps has quickly as this weekend. I've heard one rumor suggest they've already been assigned HD channels 711 and 712.

From what I understand, the Sinclair dispute with Cox was almost as acrimonious, but just not as public, as Hearst-Argyle's (KOCO owner). That Cox reached two agreements so quickly gives me some hope (fleeting though it may be) that HA will continue to be perceived as the bad guy (which they are IMHO) in this, and get an agreement in place that will put KOCO's HD signal back on Cox's lineup...

-soonerdave

[Midtowner]

Now I have to redo all my TIVO settings.

[Martin]

about time... hopefully by college football season ha will follow suit and strike a deal to rebroadcast koco in hd.

-M

[PUGalicious]

Woo Hoo!!!

I agree, SoonerDave. Perhaps this will pressure KOCO/Hears-Argyle to alter its absurd stance. They are only hurting their viewers (and ultimately their advertisers) with their grandstanding.

[Easy180]

Awesome freakin news...One down one sorry azz no good cheap money grubbing idiotic selfish subpar holdout channel to go!!

[PUGalicious]

Just checked those two channels. They are both available right now on Cox HD.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Yeah, but what was the deal? Did Cox cave?

/still happy

[PUGalicious]

Who knows? Who cares?

Part of me thinks that Cox probably did not concede that much. They are a bigger company. And what do they have to lose? They don't lose advertisers because they're not carrying the local channels; in fact, they can't sell advertising on those cable channels. They are giving cable channel space to competitors in advertising sales.

Cox would like to be able to make their subscribers happy, but it's the local channels who get the most benefit from having their programming carried on the cable channels. That's why I didn't understand the reasoning behind KOCO/Hearst-Argyle's arguments. KOKH and KOCB finally came to their senses. There was a lot of shows on those channels I just wouldn't watch because their HD signal was not available on Cox. It was their loss, not Cox's, because I would just find another HD show on another Cox channel! Hopefully, Hearst-Argyle will pull their collective head out of their butt and wake up to reality.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I only care because if Cox caves to one of them, the rest are going to pull the same crap.

But as you said, Cox has less to lose...So I'm not all that conerned about it.

F'n A...House in HD.

[SoonerDave]

Personally, and I stress this is nothing more than opinion, I think Sinclair is the one who "blinked" in this case. Cox had no reason that I can see to change its position, while Sinclair had every reason to start worrying about how their "product" was going to get out without cable retransmission.

I can't help but wonder if the local stations aren't at an increasing disadvantage in this environment as the February 2009 digital cutoff date looms closer. I think a lot of stations (well, owners) that have been playing this game of chicken with cable providers are starting to get edgy - that deadline is only 20 months away, and in the business world, that's not very long. You, as a broadcaster, almost certainly don't want to find yourself on January 30 with no cable retransmit agreements in place the day before you have to shut off your analog transmitter. (I realize that's an oversimplification, but you get the idea).

The thought might also hold that as time progresses, the negotiating advantage rolls more and more heavily in favor of the cable companies, because they have increasing amounts of of non-affiliate content they can run that is demonstrating to be just as if not more popular. So, as Pug surmised, those stations have a *lot* more to lose in the long run...

-soonerdave

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Excellent points!

*does a happy dance*

*in HD*

[windowphobe]

Comcast, a cable operator even larger than Cox, has sworn never to pay cash for retransmission, and yet even they are reaching agreements with individual station groups. While the terms are never revealed, I suspect it's a barter arrangement of some sort, swapping around advertising spots. This might benefit both parties if they have spots to spare, and it's been a long time since I heard of anyone, cable or broadcast, being completely sold out.

[oudirtypop]

What can we do to get KOCO in HD on cox? I hate that we dont get that channel, primarily in the fall. Not to mention, the off air signal isn't powerful enough here in moore to pick it up because that have it toned down so it doesnt interfere with the lawton station. HEARST, GIVE US THE CHANNEL DANG IT!

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

What can we do to get KOCO in HD on cox? I hate that we dont get that channel, primarily in the fall. Not to mention, the off air signal isn't powerful enough here in moore to pick it up because that have it toned down so it doesnt interfere with the lawton station. HEARST, GIVE US THE CHANNEL DANG IT!

I don't know what we can do. They used to have an email set up for complaints on this topic, but it took about 3 days before it was set up with an auto-reply form email instead of a person on the other end. I sent quite a few emails their way with some pretty opinionated st...uh...let's just say that I hope that there isn't a lady reading any of the last few.

[PUGalicious]

You can use their website contact form at Comments? Questions? Contact KOCO-TV - KOCO-TV News Story - KOCO Oklahoma City. The other thing is to start calling the station as leaving messages for the general manager as well as the advertising manager and the news director.

The only thing that will really get their attention is an organized boycott of KOCO advertisers. They really don't care about their viewers. Money talks, viewers walk.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Hmmm....Maybe sending their advertisers emails (instead of them) about why you're boycotting.

[Easy180]

It is now beyond ridiculous what KOCO/Hearst is doing

To not have your local ABC station on HD while freakin CW and OETA is....That's just downright embarrassing

[Midtowner]

It is now beyond ridiculous what KOCO/Hearst is doing

To not have your local ABC station on HD while freakin CW and OETA is....That's just downright embarrassing

It's their market share. They can do with it as they choose.

I only watch a few select shows on ABC. It's not even one of the channels I flip through due to its absence in the HD lineup.

[Easy180]

Same here mid aside from perhaps my two favorite things in life (after my family and happy hours of course)

Lost and OU football

[Midtowner]

This is true -- but apparently, ESPN will now be carrying a lot of Big XII games. Hopefully that's not the deuce though.

[Jack Wonder]

I was wondering if the addition of CW & Fox HD were "temporary" like so many of the HD additions on Cox, or if was meant to be perminant.....it looks like I found my answer.

And it's the answer I was hoping for (for four years, at least).