Follow-up on KETV and Cox Agreement

As noted previously, KETV-7 and Cox Communications came to an agreement to put KETV’s HD signal of Cox’s system (channel 806). Since last July, the signal had not been available on Cox.

“The agreement includes carriage of the high-definition digital (HDTV) signals and carriage of digital multicast programming, as well as continued carriage of the stations’ analog signals,” according to a pres release issued by Hearst-Argyle Television, which owns KETV.

Cox and Hearst were at odds as to whether or not Hearst should be compensated for letting Cox carry its HD signal, as well as its analog signal. Hearst and KETV wanted to be paid for its signals; Cox didn’t want to pay.

So now that the HD and analog signals are on Cox, does that mean Hearst is getting paid by Cox? And if so, is it compensation based on a per subscriber basis, or was it a broad package deal?

“All of the agreements across the country, cable operators have asked that those remain proprietary, and so broadcasters are abiding by that,” Sarah Smith, general manager of KETV, said this week.

Cox wasn’t any more forthcoming with info on the deal.

"I don’t know the terms of the agreement; it really was between our two corporate offices, and the terms are confidential and proprietary,” said Summer Miller Widhalm, public affairs manager for Cox in Omaha.

(Gotta love the ol’ proprietary card.)

Cox had said previously that if the company had to pay Hearst to carry its stations’ signals that Cox would have to raise its rates and pass that cost on to its subscribers. So, does Cox plan to raise its rates because of this agreement?
“In the near future I don’t see anything like that happening,” said Cox’s Miller Widhalm.

Does that mean Cox is NOT paying for the signals? Did KETV cave in and let Cox have the signals for free?

Oh, yeah. It’s proprietary.

The agreement includes carrying digital multicast programming that KETV has, which would include Weather Now, a syndicated channel also known as the local AccuWeather Channel. It’s a 24-hour weather-oriented broadcast/cable network that broadcasts on digital sub-channels of affiliates, which in Omaha is KETV.

Sure, we could get more details on that, but it’s … well, you know.