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Topeka, Kansas CBS affiliate dumped from Cox
About this time last week, we had hopes that WIBW-TV and Cox Communications could come to terms and put this spat behind, but unfortunately, things didn't exactly work out. As of right now, Topeka, Kansas' CBS affiliate is being dumped from Cox's lineup, and while talks are reportedly continuing, TV viewers in the area now have to turn to alternative methods to catch CBS programming. On an update on the station's website, it actually recommends that consumers call up DISH Network and DirecTV to see what kind of deals they can nab should they be too far away to pull in the signal via OTA. Here's to hoping this situation sees an amicable resolution, and fast.Update: The deadline has been extended until March 13th, so Cox users can still receive WIBW for a few more days at least.[Thanks, James H.]
South Florida's NBC 6 takes local news high-def
No sooner than Comcast announced that it would be upgrading its infrastructure in sunny South Florida, along comes word that WTVJ (NBC 6) has finally made the leap to HD newscasts. Believe it not, the switch -- which happened without much warning yesterday -- makes it the first in the Miami / Ft. Lauderdale area to broadcast local news in high-definition. It's shaping up be an excellent Spring to sit inside down there, isn't it?[Thanks, Josh]
Topeka, Kansas CBS affiliate stays on Cox while negotiations continue
Well, it's Saturday folks, and for Cox customers in Topeka, Kansas, WIBW-TV is still going strong. According to an updated article on the station's website, Topeka's CBS affiliate is going to remain on Cox Communications' lineup for just a few more days (at least), as "substantial progress" has reportedly been made in determining how much Cox should pay WIBW. As of now, the deadline has been pushed to March 8th, but at this point, we've no reason to believe the bigwigs at Cox won't come to their senses and pony up.[Thanks, Kevin O.]
Topeka, Kansas' CBS affiliate about to be dropped by Cox
As enthralled as we are to see new HD channels arrive in varying parts of the world, it's equally depressing to hear when any vanish. Nevertheless, we're looking at yet another classic battle between station and carrier in Topeka, Kansas, as the region's CBS affiliate (WIBW-TV) is threatening to remove its analog and digital HD signals from Cox unless it ponies up in a hurry. Needless to say, WIBW feels that it's not being compensated fairly from Cox for its retransmission of signals, and unless the two parties strike a deal before midnight on Friday, citizens in the area will have to bust out the antenna (or switch to satellite) to catch the looming March Madness. So, what exactly is WIBW asking for? A penny a day for each Cox subscriber.
Tulsa's NBC affiliate (KJRH) becomes first in Oklahoma with HD news
For those that call Tulsa, Oklahoma home and are sick and / or tired of tuning into SD newscasts each night, you finally have a better option. Effectively immediately, residents in the Tulsa area can now point their antenna to the region's NBC affiliate (KJRH Channel 2) and receive news in high-definition. Best of all, the station will be broadcasting all of its news -- 28 hours worth per week -- in HD, and if you really want to know how lucky you are, the next closest station(s) to Tulsa to do the same are in Dallas, Texas. Enjoy, Tulsans.
San Francisco's CBS affiliate (KPIX) flips newscasts to HD
Hard though it may be to believe, San Francisco's own CBS affiliate still wasn't beaming out its newscasts in high-definition earlier this week. Thankfully for those looking for one more reason to tune in, KPIX-TV has finally gone live with HD news and can be seen in high-def on channels 5.1 (OTA locally / DirecTV / DISH) and 705 (Comcast). Go on, Bay Area, bust out the party hats -- CBS 5 is now bringing you 30 hours per week of local HD programming. Check out the full release after the jump.[Thanks, Akilah]
SuddenLink adds FOX HD to Longview, Texas lineup just in time
NFL fans calling Lufkin, Nacogdoches or a surrounding locale home may be thrilled to know that SuddenLink and the Longview, Texas FOX affiliate (KFXK) have finally decided to put their differences aside and shake hands. Merely days before Super Bowl XLII kicks off from nearby Arizona, the station has apparently landed an agreement with SuddenLink (cash very likely involved, by the way) that will enable the cable company's subscribers to finally receive FOX in HD on channel 705. Better still, these very customers will also be able to tune into Fox Sports Network HD on channel 750 if they decide to plunk down $7.95 per month for the SuddenLink HD Plus package. According to Gene Regan, director of corporate communications at SuddenLink, the firm still plans on juicing up its lineup with additional high-def options in the near future, but unfortunately for Austin-area folks, there's still no end in sight to the drama keeping NBC HD off of your EPG.
Portland, Maine: don't expect FOX HD via OTA 'til 2009
Sure, it's been known for some time that FOX 23 out of Portland, Maine didn't beam out its signal in HD over-the-air, and based on a response from the station received by tipster Jay, it doesn't seem as if anything will be changing in the near future. Apparently, the station was purchased (in 2003) after the time period when "stations could file with the FCC for an additional digital channel position had expired." Due to this, FOX 23 is left with the option of switching channel 23 over to digital (and HD) now -- leaving hordes of analog-only viewers out in the proverbial cold -- or waiting things out until February 2009. Needless to say, the station is choosing the latter option, but to its credit, it has made its HD feed available on Time Warner Cable, DirecTV and most recently, Comcast. So yeah, it looks like those in the Portland area will indeed have to point their bank account in the direction of one of the aforementioned providers to catch Super Bowl XLII in HD, but hey, it could be worse. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
Fox News Central Texas debuts tonight, HD coming soon
Shortly after hearing that Central Texas would be getting a helping of new HD channels later this month, we've now learned that KWKT-TV (a local FOX affiliate) will begin airing its own newscast tonight. Debuting on the same day as the 2008 State of the Union address, Fox News Central Texas will get its first show underway this evening at 9:30PM local time, but will move to 9:00PM going forward. Tonight's show will mark the station's first foray into local news since it began broadcasting in 1988, and while it won't yet be shown in high-definition, the entire newsroom is already HD-capable. So, what's the holdup, you ask? Just a digital switcher, which is "presently on order."
DirecTV blesses Knoxville, Tennessee with HD locals
For those shacked up in Knoxville, Tennessee and relying on DirecTV for their tube service, we've excellent news. Starting today, you can catch the Big 4 -- ABC (WATE), CBS (WVLT), FOX (WTNZ) and NBC (WBIR) -- in high-definition without resorting to an OTA antenna. The addition of Knoxville brings the satellite provider's grand total of markets with HD locals up to 72, reportedly "representing more than 74.3-percent of US TV households." 'Tis a shame all that SEC football on CBS is so many months away, but hey, at least you've got March Madness to look forward to, right?
Albany, New York CBS affiliate (WRGB) begins broadcasting news in HD
Nary a month after TWC subscribers in New York's capital city received a welcome helping of new HD options, along comes word that its local CBS affiliate (WRGB) has flipped the switch on news in high-definition. As of last week, Channel 6 is now airing newscasts in high-def, but reportedly, it may not have the edge in the area for long. Rene LaSpina, general manager at WTEN (ABC affiliate) Channel 10, was quoted as saying that it was "definitely going to do it," and also noted that "everybody in the country has plans to [go high-def]." Shame those "plans" haven't materialized in but a few cities across the nation, eh?
KGW NewsChannel 8 first newscast in Portland to go HD
The good news just keeps on coming for HD junkies in Oregon, and now you can finally sit down after a long, hard day cramped up at the office and enjoy your news in high-definition. After five months of acquiring / installing new equipment, KGW NewsChannel 8 is broadcasting live in HD; furthermore, it will be utilizing an HD sky-cam to show "live, detailed pictures of the weather in Portland." As the first news station in the area to go HD, it's also getting a leg up by promising HD video from its Sky8 aerial camera. Now, if only Greg Oden would get healthy, all really would be well, eh?
Green Bay FOX affiliate refusing to give HD to TWC
In Green Bay, Wisconsin, there's Packers football, and then there's Packers football. 'Course, if you can't make it out to the stadium, the next best option is kicking back and watching Favre lead the Pack to victory in beautiful high-definition. Unfortunately for Time Warner Cable (partly owned by Time Warner, parent company of AOL, which owns Engadget) customers in the area, you won't be indulging without an antenna. As we've seen in so many other cases, WLUK FOX 11 is refusing to hand over its HD content to local cable / satellite providers gratis, and is currently seeking "around $0.02 per day for each digital household." To make matters worse, it's the only remaining network of The Big 4 not available in HD with TWC, and unfortunately, it doesn't even seem like an agreement is within sight. Just another excuse to make it out to Lambeau Field, right?[Thanks David S., image courtesy of Flickr]
Chicago's NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) airs first newscast in HD
Hard to believe that Chicago's local news on NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) wasn't already airing in HD, but nevertheless, it finally made the leap to high-definition this week. Not that staring at talking heads in 720p / 1080i is that much more enjoyable or anything, but at least it justifies that HDTV purchase a touch more, right?[Thanks, Brian]
Monroe, Louisiana Fox affiliate (KARD) goes HD in time for BCS
While Austin-area SuddenLink subscribers are grumbling over the recent loss of their NBC affiliate, folks in the El Dorado, Arkansas / Monroe, Louisiana region are celebrating. As of yesterday, the Fox affiliate KARD has finally flipped the switch on its HD transmitter, which will enable viewers in the area to catch all of the Bowl Championship Series games in splendid high-definition. Notably, the station has even established a dedicated forum for viewers to discuss issues and general HDTV topics -- you know, like who's most likely to take home the National Championship trophy in a few days.Read - KARD goes HDRead - User Forums
Sprint Nextel still cleaning up merger mess, buys another affiliate
Amazingly, Sprint's still trying to keep pace with scrappy regional affiliates miffed in the aftermath of its merger with Nextel; in many cases, the clear-cut violations of the non-compete clauses in place with the regionals have left the company with no option but to buy them. Latest in the affiliate roundup is Northern PCS Services in a deal valued at $312.5 million, ending the war of words (and lawyers) that presumably would've ended with an even larger payout for the affiliate after years of drawn-out courtroom proceedings. Though Sprint's gotta feel good about putting another looming drama behind them, iPCS is still out there lying in wait; no indication yet on whether Sprint's feeling a buyout there, too. Look for the Northern deal to close in Q3.
Court rules in favor of Midwestern Nextel spinoff
The endless barrage of legal fallout resulting from Sprint Nextel's merger continues, the latest onslaught coming from iPCS, a Sprint affiliate operating throughout much of the Midwest. According to Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois, the merger violated Sprint's agreement with iPCS to not infringe on their territory (a common theme in affiliates' lawsuits) and is demanding that Sprint file a plan for divesting itself of its Nextel operations in Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, and Nebraska by September 6. Naturally, Sprint intends to appeal "vigorously," though as in so many other cases, an acquisition ultimately seems possible -- if not probable.
Sprint Nextel swallows affiliate UbiquiTel
In a move that surprises absolutely no one keeping up on the aftermath of Sprint Nextel's merger, the acquisition of Sprint affiliate UbiquiTel has closed this week in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.3 billion. In exchange for taking on UbiquiTel's $300-odd million of net debt, Sprint Nextel adds an additional 452,000 direct subscribers and gains territory in 9 states for a total of roughly 8.3 million in population. Even better, they avoid the wrath of yet another affiliate miffed by the non-compete clause busting merger, which added Nextel territory to many areas serviced by Sprint affiliates and vice versa. With the billions Sprint has now shed on affiliate buyouts, mergin' ain't as cheap as it used to be, it seems.[Via The Wireless Report]
At least someone is benefiting from HDTV conflicts
Electronics stores. If you can't get Super Bowl XL in high definition via your cable provider, you're probably running to the store to get an antenna. St. Louis is a part of the long list of communities that don't have ABC's HD feed included in their cable package. As a result, local companies like Antennas Direct are doing brisk business in selling the necessary equipment to pull in the big game.If you're still wondering what you need to see the Xtra Large game in HD we have a list. Otherwise, you could always start a petition.
