SAVANNAH, GA. — When it comes to a MVPD provider, Comcast and its Xfinity service is the top choice for traditional cable TV.
That’s why Nexstar Media Group‘s NBC affiliate serving Georgia’s Coastal Empire is warning viewers of a possible “black out” due to retransmission consent negotiations between the TV station owner and the provider.
It’s a scenario playing out in other markets where Xfinity and Nexstar have a presence.
Visitors to the WSAV-3 website are being presented with the following message prominently displayed below a banner advertisement:
It’s a one-sided take of the latest tussle over retransmission consent, or the payments cable television service providers are required, under law, to pay a broadcast station owner for the right to carry the station on a local lineup they profit from through subscriber packages.
As Nexstar sees it, WSAV, among other stations, has a contract with Comcast that is set to expire. “If a new agreement is not reached, Comcast might remove WSAV from your schedule,” Nexstar says, adding that the company has presented “a proposal for fair value based on the importance and value our programming brings our viewers.”
Despite what Nexstar calls its “tireless efforts,” Comcast “refused our fair offer and is making negotiations very difficult. Our offer is fair. And now they may hold you, the subscriber, hostage. It’s not right.”
The salvo aimed at Comcast comes as three weeks remain in 2022, with the current retransmission consent accord expiring on December 31.
While markets ranging from Honolulu and Los Angeles are mainly served by Charter Communications’ Spectrum MVPD service, even New York — the nation’s top DMA — is somewhat impacted. While Spectrum is the dominant MVPD in the Five Boroughs, Altice USA’s Optimum plays that role in Westchester County and on Long Island. Comcast’s footprint includes much of Northern New Jersey, and as such WPIX-11 in New York — the subject of a court fight between Comcast and Nexstar — is at risk of being blocked from Xfinity subscribers from Metuchen to Mahwah.
Comcast has protested Nexstar’s shared services agreement with WPIX owner Mission Broadcasting, calling it a de facto ownership situation.
