They're at it again

AT&T and Nexstar Media dispute sounds familiar

Four years ago, I wrote a total of three columns based on the impasse reached by Nexstar Media and AT&T (owner of cable provider U-verse and streaming service DIRECTV), which resulted in AT&T’s ceasing to air the local ABC affiliate for a period of about three months.

When it first started mid-summer of 2019, my wife made me aware of it, as we were (and still are) U-verse customers. She expressed her concern that she would miss ABC’s coverage of the start of college football Labor Day weekend that year, which would include a game in which Auburn (where our three children attended and graduated) would play.

I told her she should not fret, that both parties would likely realize the importance of college football to viewers, and possible lost revenue from those that would flee, and settle their differences.

A couple of weeks later when the dispute was still not settled, and with game day fast approaching, I wrote another piece admitting I could have been wrong. Susan was discussing alternatives for game watching if we would not be getting ABC, and I was calculating the cost of snacks and beer if watching in a bar (one of her options) ended up as our ultimate choice.

But only a couple of weeks later, what do you know? AT&T and Nexstar made nice, and ABC was back on the air for AT&T customers in Middle Tennessee. I don’t necessarily remember it, but apparently, we were able to watch the first Auburn game in the comfort of our home with our own refreshments. I then wrote the third in the column trilogy, possibly taking a humble victory lap to remind readers I had been right all along.

Alas, as you will see from the above picture, which is what you’ll get if you are a U-verse or DIRECTV subscriber and turn to the local ABC affiliate, the two parties are spatting again.

This time around Susan is not nearly as concerned. We will be on vacation the first two weeks of September and will miss live viewing of college football’s opening weekend and any games on ABC.

Again, however, I have a feeling they will get it worked out by Labor Day.

I recently went to the TV Promise website as directed, where it was explained that Nexstar, the “largest local broadcaster who owns or operates many of the stations” AT&T provides, “is currently asking for significantly higher rates for more than 200 local TV stations and a national news channel they own in more than 100 different metro areas across the U.S., reaching 68% of U.S. TV households.”

Not that AT&T is bitter about it or anything, but this has stalled their contract negotiations. With the previous contract with Nexstar having expired and with no new one in place (meaning there is no current contract), AT&T is prohibited from airing Nexstar content — for now.

I could not find any counter arguments from Nexstar, but I am guessing they have a different opinion as to why AT&T is being stubborn about renegotiating.

When I wrote the first two of the three 2019 columns, readers were kind enough to write and offer assistance. At least one, who is also a friend and not an AT&T customer, said we could avoid the bar and come to her house. A couple of folks suggested venues with decent bar food.

Several sent instructions on how to assemble my own homemade antenna so I could bypass my provider. This was greatly appreciated, and I sent kind responses to each of them. But the chances of that happening were, well, let’s just say it was highly unlikely.

Truth be told, I could have gone on without the ABC channel and been fine. And had the problem not been resolved by the day of the first game, my wife, resourceful as she is, would have figured something out that did not involve our sitting in a dark bar for several hours.

One of the ideas she had come up with, had the dispute not been settled, was getting a free trial subscription to one of the then-fledgling streaming services and canceling after the trial period.

Reading the current information has made me realize how far things have come in that area. When this happened previously, during a conversation Susan had with an AT&T representative, the guy said something along the lines of, “well maybe you can try streaming.” Per the report from Susan, she could tell he said it out of desperation in hopes of getting her off the phone.

Today, on the aforementioned website, AT&T itself promotes enjoying “the same sports and entertainment for free at either the local station or national network websites and through popular apps or streaming devices” until they are airing ABC again.

And today I even (mostly) understand what that means.

But — and call me a Luddite if you wish — the fact is we pay for the service we pay for, and if I did want to watch something on ABC (although if I am being honest, I cannot tell you the name of an ABC series other than Good Morning America or The ABC Evening News, neither of which I watch, but this is a matter of principal), what if I don’t want to stream? We know there are other options out there, but this is what we have chosen and what we pay for.

I guess the message in the above picture simply rubs me the wrong way.

I wrote a few weeks ago how we have considered changing providers and moving exclusively to streaming. AT&T no longer promotes U-verse and will only provide DIRECTV to new customers. As longtime U-verse customers, we are grandfathered.

We even did a free DIRECTV trial last year. It was fine, but since it was going to cost more (shocking), and U-verse is what we are accustomed to, we let it go after the trial period.

Things are obviously changing fast in the broadcast industry. As I understand it, the reason for the writers’ and actors’ strike in Hollywood is due largely to streaming and how downstream money from it is divided.

It’s way more than I understand.

But I know this: things are much different from the days we had to get up and push a button on a piece of equipment called a television, and turn a knob on the same unit to three different stations.

Progress, I suppose. But much more complicated.