END THIS NONSENSE. DEMAND OPTIMUM KEEP YOUR STATION OR SWITCH PROVIDERS!
That was the stern all-caps, in-bold message being shared to viewers of Mission Broadcasting-owned and Nexstar Media Group-run WPIX-11 in New York, and Nexstar O&Os including KTLA-5 in Los Angeles, being shared on Tuesday.
For KTLA, which was offering Breaking News devoted to the devastating wildfires in Pacific Palisades while starting coverage of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., a January 7 deadline for a fresh retransmission consent deal between Nexstar and Optimum owner Altice USA loomed.
Sources close to the matter tell RBR+TVBR that the parties are still negotiating a fresh deal, indicating that KTLA remains on Optimum systems in the Eastern Sierra city of Bishop, Calif. — a far-flung corner of the vast Los Angeles DMA.
While Inyo County may be closer to Fresno or Bakersfield by air miles, the Sierra Nevada blocks TV signals from the San Joaquin Valley. As such, historical over-the-air television coverage relied on stations with towers atop Mt. Wilson — hence why this rural swath of the Golden State that is home to Death Valley relies on L.A.-based signals and cable TV.
Additionally, Optimum customers in the rural Colorado River community of Earp, Calif., face a loss of KTLA’s signal, as do their counterparts in Blythe, Calif., to the south.
In Los Angeles County, Charter Communications’ Spectrum service is the dominant MVPD.
While those impacted by a potential retransmission consent impasse between Optimum and Nexstar are few in number, the company founded and led by Perry Sook is taking an aggressive approach in informing viewers as to why they may lose access to KTLA.
“OPTIMUM is playing games, putting you, their customer, in the middle,” a page at the Nexstar-operated KeepMyStation.com reads. “OPTIMUM has a contract with KTLA that allows them to bring you our programming. If that contract expires, and OPTIMUM refuses our offer of fair value, they will discontinue delivering KTLA local news and CW network programs, including ACC Men’s and Women’s Basketball, All American, Wild Cards, and much more. You lose it all while still paying to see us each month.”
As Nexstar sees it, “Our offer is both fair and based on the importance you place on our local and CW network programs. And with all the new CW shows approaching in coming weeks, you miss out.”
In New York, the potential loss of Mission-owned and Nexstar-run WPIX-11 is much more significant. Optimum is the dominant MVPD in Westchester County, N.Y., and on Long Island. As such, any loss of access to the station could impact hundreds of thousands of viewers.
It is believed that select other Nexstar markets are at risk of losing coverage on Optimum channel lineups.
