SALISBURY, Md.- WBOC has repeatedly reached out to officials at Verizon FiOS urging them to restore WBOC-TV, FOX21 and Antenna TV to their lineup. Unfortunately, Verizon continues to make unreasonable demands as a condition of restoring service. As a result, Verizon FiOS customers continue to pay for channels they no longer receive.
Verizon FiOS suddenly dropped WBOC-TV, FOX 21 and Antenna TV from its channel lineup on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 after six months of negotiating failed to result in an agreement for carriage.
“We have bent over backwards and made extremely reasonable offers as a means of moving forward,” says Craig Jahelka, president of Draper Media. “However, Verizon insists on getting a sweetheart deal compared to other companies. Verizon wants to take our free over-the-air programming and resell it at a substantial profit without fairly compensating us. At the same time, Verizon continues to charge its viewers the same rates they paid when Verizon did carry our stations. As a result, Verizon FiOS customers are paying for channels Verizon refuses to deliver.”
Verizon continues to make preposterous false claims that locally-owned WBOC is demanding unreasonable rate increases.
“However, during the time Verizon has blacked out our channels and lied to its customers about us, we’ve reached long-term agreements to continue delivery of our stations with other, larger providers here on Delmarva who recognize the value of our stations,” says Jahelka.
Verizon, the New York-based owner of Verizon FiOS, reported operating profit of nearly 27 BILLION dollars last year. This global giant wants to paint a local family-owned company here on Delmarva as the bad guy in this situation.
“They have a massive public relations department, unlimited financial resources and a team of lawyers all bullying us while demonstrating they truly don’t care about their customers here on Delmarva,” says Jahelka. That’s why he’s urging Verizon FiOS customers to call that company at1-800-837-4966 and demand it bring back WBOC-TV, FOX21 and WBOC Classics. Customers can also drop Verizon and subscribe to another company that does carry our stations, which are also broadcast free over-the-air.
According to Nielsen Media Research, WBOC-TV and FOX21 are the most-watched channels on Verizon’s lineup. Yet Verizon won’t return those channels to its system. Verizon dropped WBOC-TV, FOX21 and Antenna TV three weeks ago with no advance warning. Since then Verizon customers have been unable to watch CBS or FOX network programming, professional football or WBOC’s award winning local news and local programming live on FiOS.
Draper Media comprises WBOC-TV, FOX21, WBOC Classics, Telemundo 42, and 102.5 WBOC-FM. Draper Media is locally-owned and operated by Draper Holdings.
Verizon FiOS dropped WBOC-TV, FOX21 and WBOC Classics from its channel lineup in Sussex and Kent Counties in Delaware. This impacts roughly 18,500 subscribers who pay Verizon to receive the same programming we offer free over the air to those who watch our stations with an antenna.
What Does WBOC Think About This?
“We’re shocked and frustrated that Verizon FiOS doesn’t care about their customers who live here on Delmarva,” says Craig Jahelka, President of Draper Media. “What makes it worse is that Verizon is not telling the truth about why it dropped WBOC, FOX21 and Antenna TV. Verizon is making wild claims about our demands for rate increases. While we do not negotiate in public, Verizon’s claims are preposterous and patently false!”
What is true is that Verizon now pays much, much more to carry non-local channels that are watched far less than WBOC and FOX21. Channels that have no local news, no local weather, no local programming, no local emergency information or school closings and no CBS or FOX shows, not to mention NFL football.
Verizon has employed a number of frustrating tactics during the past six months while we have tried to work out a new agreement for the continued carriage of our stations. This huge national company now demonstrates a complete lack of interest in serving their subscribers or local communities here on Delmarva. Regrettably, our viewers who happen to subscribe to Verizon FiOS are the ones who suffer from Verizon’s tactics. We want our stations carried on Verizon and will do whatever we can to make that happen!
We urge you to contact Verizon. Tell them to stop lying to you and to return WBOC, FOX21 and Antenna TV to their channel lineup!
15 comments:
Funny how a Blog can show them how they refuse to tell local news and use their Fox channel for LIBERAL news and an executive listens, for once. We The People can make a difference.
wboc can be carried immediately. all they need to do is enact "must carry" but then they dont get any money.
its all about the money. wboc wants x, verizon wants to pay y.
this sentence says it all
"Verizon wants to take our free over-the-air programming and resell it at a substantial profit without fairly compensating us. At the same time, Verizon continues to charge its viewers the same rates they paid when Verizon did carry our stations"
free over the air
same price with or without
often in these situations its the station that pulls the signal. not the provider (verizon,att,dish, ect)
Looks like damage control to me! Looks like they will have to listen more to the Maryland side of the eastern shore and kiss up the the advertisers in this area. I'm wondering how much longer cable companies like Comcast or Time Warner will be carrying these channels? Loved the fact that they offered links to pay for some high priced antenna's so that "you won't miss any of WBOC's Quality programming"!
Couldn't have happened to a better company. Might have to dip into the Bless Our Children fund to keep them operating!
How is it even an issue? Buy an antenna and get local programming for free, if you miss watching the local channels on Verizon. Much to do about nothing.
some info
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kagan-releases-updated-retransmission-projections-300475948.html
I would care... if they didn't suck.
I wouldn't let WBOC empty my bed pan.
WBOC needs to leave Salisbury.
They keep throwing in that locally owned in the entire statement. WBOC nobody cares! It’s a garbage station
yeah yeah WBOC the last contract negotiation you had with directv you were crying the blues then too. come to find out it was all over one penny. when you run people out of your station they like to talk about you.
Verizon wants to take our free over-the-air programming and resell it at a substantial profit without fairly compensating us. At the same time, Verizon continues to charge its viewers the same rates they paid when Verizon did carry our stations
Well, doesn't that just show how insignificant you really are? Whether you are there or not the price stays the same. Must not be an important draw for their viewers. But of course, you want to show it in a light that makes it seem V is ripping people off by not charging less when you're not there. lol.
AND, you would be okay with V ripping them off as long as YOU got your cut.
LMAO. It's bad enough the public schools in that area are dumbing down the people but the area's own news media is also contributing to it.
And THAT is why you are insignificant.
WBOC is so desperate for attention that they block WJZ on comcast whenever CBS is on both channels. WBOC sucks.
How many of us Comcast subscribers have run in the black duplicate programing screen courtesy of WBOC:
“As required by Federal Regulation, Comcast is obligated to black out duplicative CBS Network programming on this channel. Please be advised that CBS Network Programming is available on WBOC"
Notwithstanding the fact that 9 times out of 10 the programming is in fact not available on WBOC in the same time slot, why is it okay for WBOC to strong arm Comcast (and the consumer) with blackouts but its not okay for Verizon to assert their position on their own network. Pick your cliché...you don’t get to have your cake and eat it to, what comes around goes around, the chickens have come home to roost.....
Nobody misses WBOC’s fake news. Why would anyone care when they don’t even report on anything of significance in Salisbury or Maryland in general? Delaware news should be moved to DE. WBOC needs to go pitch their crazy some place else.
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