Superbluff?

Ken O’Brien
(suggested by Stephanie De Martino)

Direct TV and Sunbeam Television are engaged in an economic conflict over the fees that Direct TV should pay to Sunbeam for the rights to carry WHDH TV Channel 7 and WLVI Channel 56.

Whatever the outcome, the losers are local viewers who receive Direct TV.

On February 5 NBC will broadcast the Superbowl. WHDH is the local NBC broadcast outlet.

If this dispute is not settled by then, Direct TV subscribers will not receive a broadcast of the Superbowl.
In a letter to a subscriber, Direct TV said, “DIRECTV has to pay the owner of those TV stations, Sunbeam Television, to allow us to offer these channels to our customers. Unfortunately, our contract expired at midnight, January 14, and Sunbeam ignored our repeated requests to keep these channels on DIRECTV while we continued to negotiate. Sunbeam wants to raise its new fees by more than 300 percent, so they pulled the plug on customers like you until everyone is willing to pay up. We don't think that's fair. We had no intention of removing WSVN, WHDH and WLVI, but we can't prevent Sunbeam from doing it. They have the legal right. We will continue to ask that they keep making the stations available to all of our customers while we work out a new agreement that's fair to everybody.”

On the website of WHDH TV Channel 7, Sunbeam TV says, “Sunbeam Television Corporation, the parent company of WHDH-TV Channel 7 and WLVI Channel 56, could not come to an agreement regarding a renewal of its carriage agreement with DirecTV. We are working hard to reach an agreement with DirecTV so that you can receive our signal again. Until we do you will not be able to view WHDH and WLVI on DirecTV, but you can receive Channel 7 and Channel 56 over the air and from other cable and satellite providers. We are seeking fair market value for the transmission of our signal. We have been able to negotiate deals with several other providers. We appreciate your viewership and hope to be back on DirecTV as soon as possible.”

It is the public who is being whipsawed as a means to settle this dispute.

Those who subscribe to Direct TV have three options to be prepared if they are confronted with a blackout.

1.      Switch to Charter Cable;

2.      Switch to Dish Network;

3.      Buy a set of rabbit ears (high-tech versions cost about $30) to receive the broadcast over the airwaves “the old-fashioned way”.

If you choose any of these options, I would suggest a Superbowl XLVI Party dedicated to DERELICT TV and Sunblows TV.

Then, maybe consumers can make this kind of abuse as obsolete as this guy:

UPDATE