Viacom ready to yank channels off Bright House

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I suspect this isn’t how Bright House Networks subscribers planned to start 2009 — with a bunch of popular channels missing from their cable lineup.

But that’s what may happen because of a dispute with Viacom over extra money the media company wants for its channels. According to The Associated Press, Viacom has asked for fee increases of between 22 percent and 36 percent per channel — which Viacom says would total about an extra 23 cents a month per subscriber. Viacom points out that Americans spend a fifth of their TV time watching Viacom channels but its fees make up less than 2.5 percent of a typical cable bill.

The channels Viacom plans to pull off Bright House — and Time Warner systems nationwide – are: Comedy Central, CMT: Pure Country, Logo, Palladia, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, MTV Tr3s, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick 2, Nicktoons, Spike, The N, TV Land, VH1, VH1 Classic, and VH1 Soul.

That means no Daily Show, no Cobert Report and no Sponge Bob (well, that last one is actually good news.) It’s all set to go down at 12:01 a.m. Thursday if a deal is not reached before then.

In a posting on its Web site, Bright House says, “MTV Networks wants our customers to pay millions more. They are currently demanding price increases that are nearly triple the rate of increase under our current agreement. These increases would be excessive even in a strong economy, but given the current conditions, it’s simply not fair to our customers.”

If or when the channels go away, what should you do? Bright House offers this solution: “While we work towards reaching an agreement, many popular TV programs from MTV Networks are also available at www.hulu.com or by going to the channel’s own website.”

Ahhh, so stop watching TV and spend more time on the Internet. I can support that.

If you have questions or concerns, you can contact Bright House at this link.

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Cabrera leaves WESH, Garofalo and Longo come to town

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It’s been a good, long while since I’ve blogged about anything. Buy my resolution for 2009 is to write more — so I’m getting an early start. Here’s some of the stuff that’s been going on recently in O-Town’s TV Land …

Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera has left WESH. Cabrera’s agent, Rob Jordan, told Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker, “He signed a confidentiality agreement and is not commenting. It was all very amicable.” According to Boedeker, WESH space reporter Dan Billow — who has a meteorology degree — may be helping out with the weather now that Channel 2 is down to just four mets. Cabrera had been with WESH since May 2006, but what’s next for him? Well, he is doing voiceover work. He has a Web site where you can hear some of his samples.

Is Bob Frier getting pushed out at WKMG? We hope not, but it sure looks suspicious over at Local 6. The station has brought in Mike Garofalo from KOAT in Albuquerque to anchor the 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts with Jacqueline London. Frier will now co-anchor the 5 and 11 p.m. shows with London, and Garofalo will report for the 11 p.m. show. There is an O-Town connection with Garofalo. Back in New Mexico, working with Garofalo at KOAT was former WOFL-Fox 35 anchor Shelly Ribando.

Do you realize that as we head into 2009, the only news director who started 2008 with an O-Town station and is finishing the year is WFTV’s Bob Jordan? Bob Longo at WESH is the newest ND in town, coming from WTAE in Pittsburgh to replace Barb Maushard, who took a corporate job with Hearst-Argyle. WOFL-Fox 35 brought in Gavin Maliska in November to replace Bob Clinkingbeard, and in February WKMG hired Steve Hyvonen from WEWS in Cleveland in replace Susan Forbes.

 

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Video vault: Eyewitness News from 1984

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As any avid visitor to this site knows, I love news and old news video. I came across some new “old” video that I hope you’ll enjoy too. Here’s a WFTV Eyewitness News promo from nearly 25 years ago — 1984. It features then-Channel 9 anchor Bob Jordan (now the station’s news director — again), anchor Martie Salt (before she left Channel 9 to go to Tampa), iconic weatherman Danny Treanor and anchor Bob Opsahl. Just after the promo is another with Salt, then a middle-of-the-night news update from anchor Ted Russell.

 

 

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Fox 35 hires Maliska as new news director

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 Here’s your Friday Fast Five:

Gavin Maliska is the new news director for WOFL-Fox 35, according to NewsBlues. Maliska comes from Tribune-owned Fox affiliate WXIN in Indianapolis, where he was the ND. His Fox-heavy background includes being the deuce at WJBK in Detroit and managing editor at WFLD in Chicago. He also was managing editor for an internet sports company, and he was formerly the deputy business editor at the Chicago Sun-Times (got to like those newspaper guys!). …

Good news for Maliska is that the also-ran station he’s arriving to lead didn’t finish last in Tuesday night’s election coverage. According to Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker, WFTV led the local ratings race with an 11.1 rating, followed by WESH (8 rating), CNN (7), Fox News Channel (6.7), MSNBC (4.6), WOFL (3.8) and — ouch! — WKMG (3.8). That placed Local 6 ahead of only Central Florida News 13′s 1.9 rating. …

WKMG sports anchor “Ping” — aka David Pingalore — is playing sports instead of covering it this week. He’s playing as an amateur in Disney’s Children Miracle Network Classic tournament that started Thursday. According to the Sentinel’s Josh Robbins, Ping played college golf at Jacksonville University, lettering during the 1993-94 academic year.  “Just being out here on the driving range now, I feel the adrenaline,” Pingalore said before the event. “But I can only imagine Thursday. It’ll be the equivalent of six Mountain Dews.” Ping shot a 65 on the par 72 course and was tied for 51st place among the amateurs after the first round. Click here for the leaderboard. …

Don Smith is leaving WESH’s creative servics department to head West to Salt Lake City for a similar role with the ABC/CW duppoly. Smith came KHOU to WESH back in 2005, ane he helped change the station’s on-air look with some memorable campaigns. And he likes barbecue, so you know he’s a good guy. …

And finally, Andy Fisher — former general sales manager at WFTV — is retiring his post as president of Cox Television. Fisher has been with Cox for 24 years and he has been the company’s president since 2001.  Cox, of course, owns Channel 9.

 

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Too many hugs for Casey Anthony? That’s what local stations say

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Orlando’s local TV stations are so obsessed over Casey Anthony – especially now that it’s sweeps – maybe they just all need a hug? Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker takes the local stations to task for overplaying a story about Anthony attorney Jose Baez hugging Casey twice while in jail.

Boedeker wrote: “No way, Jose,” WFTV-Channel 9 anchor Bob Opsahl said in opening the 5 p.m. Friday news. “Now hugs have him in trouble.” Anchor Martie Salt added: “Lawyers are never supposed to touch their clients, especially like this.” It was all rather breathless.

Meanwhile, WKMG’s Tony Pipitone has been trying to trace Anthony’s movements via her cell phone records and checking into movies she rented before Casey disappeared.

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TV 27 to cover Obama; Good Morning America comes to Orlando

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 A couple of quick notes, the first two courtesy of Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker …

WRDQ-Channel 27 will provide live coverage of the Central Florida speeches by former President Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tonight. Clinton and Obama will be in Kissimme, making their first joint appearance on the campaign trail. The speeches aren’t expected until 11 p.m.

And, Good Morning America is coming to Orlando on Thursday. The ABC News morning show will broadcast from Church Street Station in downtown Orlando. Diane Sawyer and Chris Cuomo will be in town for the show, which will air from inside and outside the Cheyenne Saloon on Church Street. The public is invited – coffee and bagels will be available at 6:15 a.m. for early risers.

And finally …. Former WKMG anchor Mark McEwen will be the narrator for Lincoln’s Year, which will be performed Saturday at 8 p.m. by the Orlando Philharomic Orchestra. For more information, click here.

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