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Posts Tagged ‘Bright House’

Lose Fox on Bright House Networks? There are alternatives

December 30th, 2009

The clock is ticking, and Fox is ready to pull the plug on its channels on Bright House Networks at the stroke of midnight tomorrow.

Orlando attorney John Morgan took the mammoth media company to court today to try to stop it from cutting off its signals for the cable system. But, according to the Orlando Sentinel, Fox countered that a Florida court was not the right one to hear this issue since some of Fox’s channels are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission. Therefore, the media company’s attorney argued, this issue should be taken up in federal court. Morgan countered that this was just a stall tactic by Fox. Read the full story here.

Assuming the two sides do no reach agreement on retransmission compensation, Bright House customers may be without Fox 35, MyNetwork 65, Sun Sports, Fox Sports Florida and other Fox-owned channels as early as New Year’s Day. So, if you have Bright House, what should you do? Here are some tips on how to get Fox channels and programming:

First, if you have a digital television — one that gets HD signals — relax. You can easily pick up WOFL-Fox 35 and WRBW-My 65 with an indoor rabbit-ears antenna.

If you have an old analog TV, don’t panic. All you need is a digital converter box. These will run you between $40 and $55. Click here to see examples from Best Buy. With one of these boxes, you can pull in all the local stations — including Fox — with an indoor rabbit-ears antenna.

OK, so you’re set for all the BCS bowl games — including Tim Tebow’s finale as the Florida Gators face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl. What about those Orlando Magic games on Sun Sports and Fox Sports Florida?

To get them, you’re going to either (a) have to find someone who has a television provider other than Bright House, (b) sign up with one of those providers or (c) find a sports bar that doesn’t use Bright House.

For you home programming, choices include Dish Network and DirecTV for satellite. (By the way, Fox and DirecTV are owned by the same company, so chances are you will never lose any Fox programming on DirecTV). In some areas of Central Florida, there is another option: AT&T’ U-verse service.

Like all disagreements, this one will come to an end at somepoint. Hopefully, you won’t miss to many of your favorite shows or sports events.

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Posted in Orlando Magic, Orlando TV, WOFL-35, WRBW-65

Tags: Bright House WOFL-35 WRBW-65

Longo lands at Central Florida News 13

July 13th, 2009

Some quick hits to start your week:

Nice to see reporter Adam Longo bounce back from WKMG’s downsizing. He’s got a gig with Central Florida News 13. His bio on the CFNews13.com Web site says he’s weekend anchor, although I spotted him doing live shots on Friday when a busload of tourists stopped at Celebration hospital to get checked for flu-like symptoms. I know Adam hasn’t been at CFN 13 that long, but could they at least grab a photo for his bio? …
Speaking of Central Florida News 13, while Longo’s bio has been added, the one for Melissa Crabtree has gone missing. Anyone seen her? …
Are you a fan of NBC’s smart and witty sitcom, 30 Rock? If so, good news. Fox and Tribune Co. announced a deal last week to air reruns of the Tina Fey show on their stations — and that includes WOFL-Fox 35 and WRBW-MyTV 65. The shows will air in the 2011 season. Read more here … » Read more: Longo lands at Central Florida News 13

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Posted in CF News 13, Orlando TV, WOFL-35, WRBW-65

Tags: Adam Longo Bright House News 13

Bright House keeps Viacom channels, adds Fox Sports

January 2nd, 2009

Wow! Not only did Bright House Network customers avoid losing their Viacom-run channels, but finally … after years and years of waiting … the cable company added Fox Sports Florida.

As reported earlier this week, Viacom and Bright House-Time Warner were deadlocked over a proposed rate increase Viacom wanted for its popular channels. Viacom was ready to yank the channels off Bright House’s lineup at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, but a tentative last-minute deal was reached.

In a news release, Kevin Hyman, Executive Vice President, Cable Operations of Bright House Networks said, “We are pleased that our customers will continue to be able to watch the programming they enjoy on MTV Networks. We are sorry they had to endure a day of public disagreement as we worked through this negotiation.”

But what about Fox Sports Florida? For years, Bright House has refused to add the cable sports channel. But that changed with the arrival of 2009. Bright House said Fox Sports Florida will be available on channel 50.

“This is a banner day for sports fans in Central Florida,” said Cathy Weeden, Senior VP/GM of Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports. “Bright House customers now have the opportunity to see Fox Sports Florida’s award-winning coverage of their hometown teams, including all 77 Orlando Magic games offered on Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports each season.”

“We have worked hard to reach an agreement that works best for all of our customers, which has always been our goal,” J. Christian Fenger, President of Bright House Networks Central Florida Division, said in a news release. “Fox Sports Florida is a strong addition to our lineup and will complement our already significant array of sports programming. We are very happy to make this happen.”

Left unsaid … between keeping the Viacom channels (at a higher rate) and the addition of Fox Sports Florida, expect to see your cable bill rise very soon.