# CBS and TWC have drawn their lines in the sand. Who's going to blink first? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422 "2013-07-24T21:43:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/41 "2013-08-05T02:41:48Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I’m pretty sure they’ll be on [Showtime.com](http://Showtime.com) later on. If they’ll allow you to watch them there, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/42 "2013-08-05T06:50:49Z")
Well, it’s official. We’re switching back to DirecTV. We have to wait until next Saturday for installation, though, as apparently they’re pretty busy getting new customers. It’s not really this CBS/Showtime thing, though it was the final push. It’s that we’ve returned 2 malfunctioning cable boxes in the last 5 months, and the third box–which we just got a week ago–is ALSO defective as we keep having to call and have it reauthorized EVERY time we want to watch HBO. Enough was enough. The TWC folk were nice, but I couldn’t roll my eyes far back into my head enough when they claimed THEY were the pawns and the victims in this and it was CBS holding it all hostage. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/43 "2013-08-05T07:14:04Z")
> [@Ruffian](#): > > Enough was enough. The TWC folk were nice, but I couldn’t roll my eyes far back into my head enough when they claimed THEY were the pawns and the victims in this and it was CBS holding it all hostage. Did they tell you about the kittens? All the kittens that would suffer if they acceded to CBS’s terrorist demands? I don’t see how they failed to mention that. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/44 "2013-08-05T20:02:41Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > If they’ll allow you to watch them there, that is. Time Warner’s been yanked from the list of providers that you can use to log into the Showtime Online site. Once the pissing match ends, I presume I’ll be able to catch up on the episodes of Ray Donovan and Web Therapy online (or On Demand), but not until it ends. Luckily, I’m not too emotionally invested in either of those shows. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/45 "2013-08-05T21:57:45Z")
> [@Ruffian](#): > > Well, it’s official. We’re switching back to DirecTV. We have to wait until next Saturday for installation, though, as apparently they’re pretty busy getting new customers. > > It’s not really this CBS/Showtime thing, though it was the final push. It’s that we’ve returned 2 malfunctioning cable boxes in the last 5 months, and the third box–which we just got a week ago–is ALSO defective as we keep having to call and have it reauthorized EVERY time we want to watch HBO. Cable box issues aside, it’s just a matter of time before the next contract dispute between a major network and DirecTV, so there’s no real escape. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/46 "2013-08-06T06:30:31Z")
Yeah, didn’t DirecTV not carry AMC during Breaking Bad’s most recent season due to a similar dispute? Or was that Dish Network? Either way, your point is spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/47 "2013-08-07T05:36:02Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > If they’ll allow you to watch them there, that is. Too true. [CBS.com](http://CBS.com) is now blocked for video if you’re a time warner Internet customer. (At least in the affected markets). We tried watching under the dome tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/48 "2013-08-07T05:51:34Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > Too true. [CBS.com](http://CBS.com) is now blocked for video if you’re a time warner Internet customer. (At least in the affected markets). We tried watching under the dome tonight. If you have Amazon Prime you can watch it there. (On the following Friday of air date.) ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/49 "2013-08-07T05:53:31Z")
I saw part of an interview with the TWC CEO and he was saying that they are encouraging their customers to get Aero where available or to buy an antenna for OTA (over the air) broadcasts. That sounds strange but his position is that broadcast retransmission is only a part of their business so it’s not going to make a difference in whether or not people want their service. Obviously the inconvenience is driving people away though and they’re trying to head that off so I guess it’s the lesser of the various evils. They also interviewed Les Moonvess of CBS. In the clip I saw all he said was that the shows they produce cost money, lots of money, so if people want them somebody is going to have to pay for them. Otherwise they don’t get made. Uhh, that’s all you got Les? I hope you’re more persuasive at the negotiating table. Judging by the email slap fight they synopsized, TWC seems to be posturing. CBS wants to double their rate from $1 per customer (?) to $2 I think, so you can see why they’re pissed - however for all I know, maybe CBS content is worth it. TWC’s counter proposal is to offer channels ala carte, which seems to be a perennial non-starter for content providers. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/50 "2013-08-07T06:06:49Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > They also interviewed Les Moonvess of CBS. In the clip I saw all he said was that the shows they produce cost money, lots of money, so if people want them somebody is going to have to pay for them. Otherwise they don’t get made. Uhh, that’s all you got Les? I hope you’re more persuasive at the negotiating table. Why do they give the shows away for free _from big whopping antennas_ if they need all this money in exchange for them being watched? (I guess it wouldn’t surprise me a whole lot if a major network affiliate wouldn’t be sustainable if the entire market switched to OTA. It would make me wonder why they still bother with running a transmitter at a loss for, what, 10% of the viewers? If CBS is only viable as a pay network, why isn’t it one?) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/51 "2013-08-07T06:07:01Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > They also interviewed Les Moonvess of CBS. In the clip I saw all he said was that the shows they produce cost money, lots of money, so if people want them somebody is going to have to pay for them. That’s what advertisers are for. If you want subscribers to pay for them you should drop the commercials and FCC restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/52 "2013-08-07T06:18:15Z")
Just got back from the Aero website. They’re coming soon to Dallas!! (Gee I wonder what prompted that?) When they do get here, it’s bye bye TWC!! Can’t wait. This may actually be a blessing in disguise. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/53 "2013-08-25T16:02:10Z")
The blackout is still going on, but TWC have started giving out free antennas to watch OTA channels in certain areas. A list can be found here: > **[Google](http://www.google.co.uk)** > > Magdalena Abakanowicz's 93rd Birthday! #GoogleDoodle I picked up a free antenna at one of the Best Buys yesterday, and after some confusion while hooking it up (you have to go into Setup in the TV menu and have it auto tune into all the OTA channels) it worked! I am now getting CBS in HD OTA. There were very few other channels, basically just channels 2-13, but all I wanted it for was CBS. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/54 "2013-09-03T02:04:27Z")
CBS is back!! ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/55 "2013-09-03T02:11:41Z")
Congrats - [here’s the Bloomberg story](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-02/cbs-reaches-accord-to-end-blackout-on-time-warner-cable.html) for anyone interested. > [@](#): > > [CBS Corp. (CBS)](http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/CBS:US) programs returned to [Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC)](http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/TWC:US) in New York, [Los Angeles](http://topics.bloomberg.com/los-angeles/) and [Dallas](http://topics.bloomberg.com/dallas/) after the companies ended a one-month blackout in time for the start of National Football League regular-season games. > > Time Warner Cable agreed to pay a significant increase for the right to transmit CBS signals, though still below $2 per subscriber per month, according to people with knowledge of the situation, who asked not to be identified because the terms are private. > . > . > . > Aside from Showtime Anytime, which allows subscribers to view the premium channel anywhere on tablets and mobile phones, Time Warner Cable failed to obtain out-of-home rights to CBS’s programming, the people said. CBS may later try to sell those rights exclusively to an online player like Google Inc. or Apple Inc., they said. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/56 "2013-09-03T02:12:47Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > CBS is back!! nm ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422/57 "2013-09-12T03:44:11Z")
Time Warner Cable says it lost customers from blackout > **[Time Warner Cable says it lost customers from blackout](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/news/time-warner-cable-says-lost-customers-blackout-002243341--finance.html)** > > (Reuters) - A Time Warner Cable Inc executive said the pay TV operator lost subscribers during a month-long blackout of CBS Corp in three major markets, while the broadcast network's CEO said it suffered no financial harm from rate dispute. The... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-and-twc-have-drawn-their-lines-in-the-sand-whos-going-to-blink-first/664422.md?page=2)