Yawn. It’s Tuesday morning and I want to watch the CBS drama Under the Dome. Since the show is part of the OnDemand service from Time Warner Cable, I figured I’d just watch the show in the morning and not stay up past my bedtime.
Okay. Got some breakfast, got my remote…
Channel 1020 – the OnDemand channel – and
CBS UNAVAILABLE
Wha?
Okay, that’s not going to work. I then go over to CBS’s website, as I figured I’d watch “Under the Dome” online. And I got this.
So now I can’t even watch the show on CBS.com because I’m a Time Warner customer?
Then I get a set of dueling messages between CBS and Time Warner over this stupid dispute.
Time Warner Cable puts up their own political advertisement…
And Time Warner decided to add a special “how to watch CBS shows online” video clip.
Of course, that didn’t stop CBS from going on their own propaganda campaign.
Time Warner returns serve.
And CBS follows with a volley.
The last time I heard this much negative advertising, Willie Horton was receiving weekend furlough passes from Michael Dukakis. I kid, I kid…
But you know what? I’m sick of this posturing on both networks. I’m sick and tired of being punished because my cable provider is Time Warner. I’m sick of being deprived because I like watching shows on CBS.
But I’m not going to sit back and kvetch about which organization is right and which one is wrong.
Especially when I can post both TWC’s and CBS’s “Frequently Asked Questions” on this blog.
Here’s Time Warner Cable’s FAQ on the dispute.
Q. Why is this happening?
A: CBS is making outrageous demands for the right to continue carrying their channels. We are holding the line against broadcasters who continue to make their stations available free over-the-air and online while they demand more from cable customers without delivering any additional value.
Q: Where can I find the shows that I’m missing?
A: There are any number of places, including free over-the-air using an antenna, plus some places online for free.
For national network primetime shows:
Visit http://www.CBS.com to see recent airings of their primetime shows.
In addition, many primetime programs are available via national online services like Amazon.com, Hulu.com, iTunes.com, or Netflix.com, some for free, some as part of a subscription fee.
And remember that CBS shows also appear in repeats on some of your favorite cable networks, like: CSI (on USA Network & Spike); NCIS (on USA); Criminal Minds (on A&E), The Mentalist (on TNT), NCIS: LA (on US); Two and a Half Men (on FX), How I Met Your Mother (on FX and Lifetime), and The Big Bang Theory (on TBS).For daytime soap operas: http://www.cbs.com for free
For local news, weather, and sports: Remember that your other local broadcast stations remain available on the Time Warner Cable lineup, along with NY1/YNN in select markets. And some of the local CBS stations stream their local newscasts for free over the internet. Check your local station’s website for information.
For syndicated shows like Dr. Oz, Ellen, Katie, and others: most of those shows share either full episodes or highlights via their own websites, for free.
For shows that appear on Showtime, or movies: Showtime makes some episodes and clips available for free at Sho.com and at Hulu.com; other episodes can be found at paid services like Amazon.com, Netflix.com, and on iTunes. And remember that, as a courtesy, we are providing replacement programming from Starz and Encore on a temporary basis. Showtime and TMC customers should look in your onscreen guide for the Starz and Encore channel numbers.
For shows on Smithsonian: Look for similar shows on Discovery, National Geographic, TLC, Animal Planet, and many others
Q: Customers are complaining that they can’t access CBS video via cbs.com
A: It appears that CBS may be blocking access to Time Warner Cable internet customers for content that they otherwise offer free to any other online user. We encourage you to contact CBS and let them know your opinion about denying you access because of your choice of online providers.
Q: How can customers contact CBS to complain about CBS actions, including withholding access to cbs.com programming that is provided free of charge to any online user other than a Time Warner Cable internet customer?
A: You can reach CBS nationally and locally at the following:
CBS Corporate: 212-975-4321 or online here
KCBS (Los Angeles): 818-655-2000 or online here
WCBS (NY): 212-975-4321 or online here or here
KTVT (Dallas): 817-451-1111 or online here
SHOWTIME: 212-708-1600 or online here
Q: This kind of blackout seems to happen to Time Warner Cable all the time; I’m going to switch to another provider.
A: Unfortunately, these kinds of blackouts have occurred more frequently over the past few years—last year, over 80 broadcast TV stations withheld their channels from all kinds of video providers, including cable, satellite, and telephone companies. It’s not just Time Warner Cable—every provider is at risk for losing the right to carry these channels that are available for free over the air to an antenna. Switching to another provider won’t prevent similar blackouts from happening to you in the future, and you could miss some of your favorite programming, like NY1 in New York City.
Q: I’m an NFL fan, and I’m going to miss my team’s pre-season games. Where else can I see them?
A: You may not miss even a minute of preseason games:
For the NY Giants, NY Jets, Dallas Cowboys, and Pittsburgh Steelers, at least 1 preseason game is being carried nationally on a channel that remains available on Time Warner Cable.
Some or most will be replayed on NFL Network (which hasn’t yet announced its full August schedule, but usually features replays of key games throughout the week)
All are available on the NFL Preseason Live package online. For $19.99, you can see all NFL pre-season games either live or on demand, beginning shortly after the game has ended. Find more information at http://www.preseason.nfl.com.
Most teams also have preseason radio coverage for all games. Check your team’s website for more details.
Yeah. And now for the rebuttal, here’s CBS’s FAQ on the situation.
Q: Whose decision was it to take CBS off the air?
A: Time Warner Cable’s. We offered an extension that they chose to not accept.
Q: Why did Time Warner Cable Drop CBS?
A: Unfortunately, you will need to ask Time Warner Cable, as we offered an extension so that this wouldn’t happen. Time Warner Cable refuses to fairly compensate us for being one of the most watched networks on their programming line-up.
Q: Is it true that CBS was asking for a 600% increase in its rates?
A: No. We are not looking for a 600% increase. We cannot discuss specifics, but we do want you to know that our requests are far more reasonable and well in line with what the industry is paying for content. While we are by far the most watched network in the country, there are many more networks that are much less viewed than CBS that Time Warner Cable pays considerably more money for. We are only seeking to be paid fairly for our quality, popular programming including such programs as Under The Dome, Big Brother, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS and others, plus a host of sports and news programming.
Q: Time Warner Cable told me that my bill will go up if they accepted your terms?
A: Time Warner Cable already charges you many, many times over what they pay for broadcast programming. If you look at your bill in Los Angeles, for example, where they are required to disclose it, you will see a $20 charge for broadcast programming. We receive far less, in fact a small percentage of that.
Q. How much should Time Warner Cable be crediting me for the loss of CBS?
A: The amount of any credit is up to Time Warner Cable.
Q: How can I get CBS back?
A: Call Time Warner at 855-345-5337 and ask them to get CBS back on their channel line-up. After all, you are already paying for CBS. If Time Warner Cable refuses your request, you do have other alternatives. For example, Direct TV, Verizon FiOS or AT&T Uverse may be available to you.
Q: When will CBS be back on Time Warner Cable?
A: Soon, we hope. But only Time Warner Cable can answer that question. We did not require them to take it down. We have never had one of our stations go dark with a cable company over a business negotiation before, so this is new territory for us. Time Warner Cable has had over 50 of these types of disputes in the last five years and sadly seems to do this quite often to their customers.
Q: Can I still get CBS Primetime on Demand?
A: While Time Warner is not offering the regular linear channel, then they won’t have the on Demand content either.
Q: Why have they also taken down Showtime?
A: Showtime is owned by CBS. This is a wholly punitive measure by Time Warner Cable.
Enough already. Here, let’s solve the problem right now.
CBS – unlock your blocking feature on your website now. Stop punishing me because my only options in this area for cable service are Time Warner Cable and a set of rabbit ears.
Time Warner Cable – add CBS back as soon as possible. Then do what you normally do. Raise our cable rates and blame us for raising them. Heck, I’m expecting my cable bill to be at least $200/month by the end of 2013, you’re behind schedule.
And for both of you mega-corporations to keep harping on this continually petty and putrid fee dispute and using the viewers as pawns – “Call TWC and complain,” “Call CBS and complain,” “Call Rocky Mountain Film Lab and complain…” – I’m sick of it. Stop using viewers as pawns in your dispute.
Everybody knows this is going to last throughout the summer, and will most likely end on September 8, 2013 – that’s when the Patriots play the Bills in the opening week of the NFL. You try taking Tom Brady away from millions of Patriots fans, that’s dangerous. Yeah, it’ll end by then. But I don’t want to wait that long.
So CBS and Time Warner Cable – either get this dispute settled right now… and I mean RIGHT FREAKIN’ NOW…
Or I investigate the wonders of BitTorrent.
And don’t think I won’t. That is not an idle threat.
Chuck The Writer 
My long, former career in television broadcasting reminds me of the kind of idiotic greed and power plays that bring this stuff on. A pox upon them all indeed! I had the same experience yesterday… *sigh*
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Great blog, I appreciate all this info. Yes, a pox is in order!!!
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I thought the CBS blackout was only in Time Warner’s major markets like LA and NYC. Has it spread to the Capital Region now? Either way and no matter who is at fault between the two, Time Warner is the one that bills the viewers who are being treated as pawns. So, every cable customer better receive a credit from Time Warner during this blackout because when you sign up and agree to pay whatever astronomical bill they charge these days, it is an agreement that they will provide all of the services you pay for. If they don’t deliver it, even for a temporary period of time, customers better be compensated. After all, I’m sure Time Warner is saving money not paying CBS its fees while this blackout is pending.
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The blackout doesn’t apply to affiliated stations with different ownership that carry CBS network content, like our very own WRGB here in the Capital Region. WRGB and other affiliates make its own agreements with Time Warner and other cable carriers, so if you watch your favorite programs in real time or have a DVR, the blackout doesn’t affect you.
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From an e-mail I got on Aug 2:
CBS Corporation, the owner of several TV networks and broadcast TV stations, has made outrageous demands for the right to continue delivering their programming to our customers. As a result, several CBS-owned channels have been removed from your lineup while we continue to negotiate for fair and reasonable terms.
We deeply regret being forced into this position by CBS, but we’re prepared to stand by our customers and do what it takes to fight these unreasonable demands.
The affected channels are:
CBS Owned-and-Operated TV stations in the following cities:
Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and Pittsburgh ONLY
Showtime
The Movie Channel
Flix
Smithsonian Channel
If you currently receive this channel Here’s how your Time Warner Cable video service is impacted
CBS from any city other than the one listed above –
CBS Primetime on Demand is now unavailable. StartOver and LookBack services on your CBS station are unavailable.
Flix – Flix is now unavailable
Smithsonian Channel – Smithsonian and Smithsonian on Demand are now unavailable
We thank you for your patience and support, and appreciate you being a Time Warner Cable Customer.
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This is why I have zero qualms about pirating EVERYTHING.
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That’s the only way to watch Under the Dome if you missed it. That, or using a proxy to access CBS.com, which is illegal too.
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Time warner cable is evil. I blame this all on them. They fleece us and provide shoddy service. Now they take channels away and lie to us about the reason.
Why is time warner allowed to be a monopoly?? No wonder they abuse us; there is nothing to stop them and we have no recourse except satellite which not everyone can do.
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Torrenting is the way to go.
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until recently i was happy with TWC. lately they have raised the rate on my cable modem, they have removed a number of stations and of course the bill has gone up. neither dish nor fios has as good a lineup so i feel like we are being hung out to dry. as i prepare to retire in the next year, these costs will factor in whether i can maintain this service. as a tv addict, it will bother me greatly to have to ditch any of this. i use tw for phone and internet. maybe we can start to get some better choices and bundling….
and what can we do about commercials? never mind.
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Buy your own cable modem (recently purchased mine for around $85), will pay for itself in just a little over a year with their new $6 rental fee.. all you have to do is plug it in, then call TWC and give them the MAC address off the modem.. The switch took a day, just had to put up with a few annoying sales pitches..
They have a list of supported modems on their website.
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Monopoly – could you provide us with the URL for that list of supported modems, please? That would be a big help for those of us who want to save from TWC’s latest round of gouging. Thank you.
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Gotta love a local government granted monopoly vs the guy who’s gives away his shows over the air anyway thanks to gov’t granted airwaves (they both seem to forget this in the pursuit of boosting their stock prices/golden parachutes)… Can the new Albany mayor go all out for Google or Municipal Fiber so I can give these clowns the heave ho?
sidenote: AmazonPrime does offer CBS shows a day or two later if you care (It’s a nice bonus on top of the “free” two day shipping).
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https://www.timewarnercable.com/en/residential-home/support/topics/internet/buy-your-modem.html
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Call your Congressman and US Senators! They need to draft a bill that would prohibit companies from holding the customers hostage like this.
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Guess what? I’m totally OK with not having access to CBS. There is literally nothing on their channel that I care about missing.
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Goody for you.
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Cut the cord!
With over-the-air broadcasts in HD (and in 1080p, not 1080i as is commonly broadcast over Cable!), it’s so easy to just hook up an antenna and pay zero dollars a month for a lot of content. The multiple PBS channels, for instance, easily replace the crap that’s on Discover or History channel.
Paired with Netflix, Amazon instant, Hulu, etc. you are pretty much set.
And if there’s a TV show you really can’t miss, you can buy most of them per episode on itunes.
Cable companies need not be monopolies anymore.
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