Suddenlink FYI

In ongoing negotiations through Sunday evening, Dec. 30, the owner of KXAN-TV declined repeated offers made by Suddenlink. They also (once again) declined the extension we requested, forcing us to remove their station from your line up under penalty of law and against our will. Any suggestion by KXAN that Suddenlink voluntarily pulled this station from your line up is a blatant misrepresentation of what has actually happened. (More detail below.)

Customers in communities without an alternative NBC station can pick up complimentary TV set-top antenna with installation instructions — on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last — at the locations listed here. (You can also watch full episodes of many of your favorite NBC shows online; check here for details.)

Customers in communities with an alternative network-affiliated TV station, please check here for relevant channel numbers.

Please know that Suddenlink has done everything in its power to prevent this from happening. We even tried to simplify the situation, asking for a deal that would keep KXAN on our cable systems serving Georgetown, Pflugerville, Leander, Lost Pines, and Jarrell — areas where there is no other NBC station available. Up until the last hour, KXAN’s owner refused to consider such a deal. To us, that seems to suggest they value their TV stations in other markets more than they value their viewers in Austin.

Looking ahead, to help return KXAN to our customers who do not have an alternative NBC station, Suddenlink is exploring all options, including whether or not LIN-TV’s actions in this situation have violated anti-trust laws. (LIN-TV is the parent company of KXAN.) Please stay tuned for other developments, and in the meantime, if you wish to ask KXAN and LIN-TV to return their station to Suddenlink’s line up, you can contact the station at 512-476-3636 and LIN-TV at 401-454-2880 or information@lintv.com. We will put their station back on our line up as soon they give us permission to do so.

Suddenlink’s chief operating officer, Tom McMillin, spoke by phone and traded emails Sunday evening, Dec. 30, with Vincent Sadusky, the chief executive officer of LIN-TV, KXAN’s parent company.

Sadusky suggested that it is difficult for LIN-TV to address this situation in a timely manner during the holidays. In response, McMillin repeated Suddenlink’s request for a short-term extension from LIN, which would allow Suddenlink to legally keep KXAN on the cable company’s line up and thus take the pressure off of LIN executives.

Sadusky dismissed that suggestion.

Suddenlink customers in Clovis, New Mexico, who wish to continue watching their favorite CBS shows, please turn to Channel 5 on your cable TV line up.

Suddenlink customers in Brady and San Saba, Texas, who wish to continue watching their favorite NBC shows, please turn to Channel 9 on your cable TV line up.

Suddenlink customers in Caldwell and Rockdale, Texas, who wish to continue watching their favorite NBC shows, please turn to Channel 6 on your cable TV line up.

For Suddenlink customers in Junction, Texas, your favorite NBC shows will continue to be available on Channel 4 on your cable TV line up.

If you no longer have access to KXAN (NBC) on your cable TV line up and also do not have an alternative NBC station, we are providing complimentary TV set-top antenna with installation instructions — available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last — at the following locations during the noted hours.

111 N. College St
Georgetown, TX 78626
New Year’s Day: 8:00 am - Noon
Normal Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

201 E. Walter Ave
Pflugerville, TX 78660
New Year’s Day: 8:00 am - Noon
Normal Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm; 2:30 pm - 6:00 pm

409 Crystal Falls Parkway
Leander, TX 78641
New Year’s Day: Closed
Jan. 2-4: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm; 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Normal Hours of Operation:
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm; 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

221 East Main St.
Brenham, TX 77833
New Year’s Day: Closed
Normal Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm

Status information below. Additional background information here. Also: see this report by Austin American-Statesman reporter Diane Holloway.

If you’ve recently visited the Web site of KXAN-TV, the Austin NBC affiliate, you may have noticed a potentially confusing message there about the future availability of this station on the line ups of certain Suddenlink cable systems. Here are the facts.

For customers of our Georgetown, Lost Pines, and Jarrell, Texas, cable systems:

Though our current agreement with the owner of KXAN-TV expires on December 31, we have been working for two months on a new agreement. We’ve made good progress on those discussions, and we still hope to finalize a new agreement on or before December 31. Failing that, we today (Dec. 2 asked the station’s owner to consider a short-term extension to our current agreement, so we all have adequate time to finalize the new agreement and so that you continue to have uninterrupted access to KXAN.

For customers of other relevant cable systems: (more…)

Pressure from fans and elected officials have combined to persuade the NFL Network to allow CBS and NBC to simulcast the New England Patriots’ attempt Saturday night to go undefeated in a 16-game regular season. More here.

This decision means every household that receives a CBS or NBC television station — either over-the-air or via cable — will be able to watch the game.

In addition to being televised on the NFL Network, the Texas Bowl between TCU and the University of Houston on Friday, Dec. 28, will also air on KDFI-TV. Although Suddenlink does not carry the NFL Network, it does carry KDFI-TV in several outlying communities in the Dallas/Ft. Worth TV market. Those communities include but are not limited to the following.

Suddenlink Channel 7: Honey Grove, Krum, Paris, Pilot Point, Anna, Melissa, Prosper, Aubrey, Little Elm, and Sanger

Suddenlink Channel 9: Terrell, Seagoville, Royse City, Forney, and Balch Springs

Suddenlink Channel 12: Athens, Sulphur Springs, and Winnsboro

Suddenlink Channel 14: Gainesville and Whitesboro

Suddenlink Channel 16: Mineral Wells

Suddenlink Channel 18: Lowry Crossing and Lucas

If viewers served by Suddenlink do not see their cities listed here, they can confirm if and where KDFI-TV is carried on their channel lineup by going to our Web site and entering their zip code.

Check here for more information on the NFL Network.

The overwhelming majority of Suddenlink customers in Oklahoma will be able to watch the Dec. 31 Insight Bowl, in which Oklahoma State University will battle Indiana University. In addition to being televised on the NFL Network, the game will be televised on KSBI-TV out of Oklahoma City. Suddenlink carries KSBI-TV on its line up in Stillwater and various other Oklahoma communities on the following channels:

Suddenlink Channel 2: Healdton

Suddenlink Channel 3: Muskogee

Suddenlink Channel 7: Stillwater

Suddenlink Channel 8: Seminole, Weatherford

Suddenlink Channel 11: Purcell

Suddenlink Channel 12: Alva

Suddenlink Channel 15: Lindsey

Suddenlink Channel 16: Enid

Suddenlink Channel 22: Chickasha, Pauls Valley, Perry

Suddenlink Channel 24: Crescent

Suddenlink customers who do not see their cities listed here can check to confirm if and where KSBI-TV is carried on their cable lineup by visiting our Web site and entering their zip code.

Check here for more information on the NFL Network.

Not the same as watching a complete game on your TV set, but if you don’t otherwise have access to pro football games carried on the NFL Network, here are a couple options to consider.

Watch “in-game action, highlights, studio analysis, and more” through NFL.com/Live.

Search for free Internet radio feeds.

Check here for more information on the NFL Network.

In a letter to the NFL, two U.S. Senators have suggested it might be time for Congress to reconsider the NFL’s antitrust exemption, given the league’s decision to put pro games on its own channel, the NFL Network. Or, in the Senators’ own words, as excerpted by the Associated Press:

“Now that the NFL is adopting strategies to limit distribution of game programming to their own networks … Congress may need to reexamine the need and desirability of their continued exemption from the Nation’s antitrust laws.”

Check here for more information on the NFL Network.