1. What is happening?
By law, WPXI must negotiate carriage agreements with giant telco companies like VERIZON/Fios who provide video services. Usually, these deals are reached without any disruption to your service. In fact, our company has successfully negotiated agreements with all other Pay TV providers. Unfortunately, VERIZON/Fios has so far refused to enter into fair market carriage deal with CMG for the WPXI programming and services that customers value. VERIZON/Fios has an unfortunate pattern of forcing channel blackouts of local TV stations. Because WPXI has yet to secure a carriage deal with VERIZON/Fios, you will lose live access to the shows, sports and local news on WPXI, which you rely on and are paying for. We are hopeful VERIZON/Fios will abandon its well-worn path of blacking out TV stations and come to the negotiating table with CMG and start negotiating in good faith.
2. As a VERIZON/Fios customer, what can I do to continue to watch my favorite shows on WPXI?
The best thing viewers can do is Call VERIZON/Fios right now at 1-800-837-4966. Tell VERIZON/Fios that you pay them a lot of money to watch your favorite shows on WPXI, including Channel 11 News, “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!”. And then switch.....
3. Why does WPXI charge cable and satellite operators a fee to carry their programming?
Despite what you may have heard, this dispute is not about WPXI seeking large fees. WPXI is often the highest rated channel on VERIZON/Fios. Producing and broadcasting high rated, top-quality programming and being a network affiliate is very expensive. We invest millions of dollars every year in our local news, weather, emergency programming, entertainment content and network affiliations. To keep doing that, we need a fair market deal from VERIZON/Fios and all our distributors. We have carriage agreements with every other major cable, telco and satellite company that is carrying WPXI and are seeking to be treated fairly by VERIZON/Fios.
5. Won’t rates to subscribers go up if VERIZON/Fios has to pay WPXI?
How Verizon prices Fios TV is determined entirely by VERIZON/Fios. Like all cable and satellite companies, VERIZON/Fios is already charging you to receive WPXI as part of your monthly bill. We do not control how VERIZON/Fios manages its business and charges its customers. We have and will continue to negotiate with VERIZON/Fios in good faith in an effort to successfully complete a deal with them. We ask VERIZON/Fios to do the same.
6. Since VERIZON/Fios stopped carrying WPXI, will I get a refund on my bill?
It is up to VERIZON/Fios to resolve such questions with its customers. Call VERIZON/Fios at 1-800-837-4966 now about a refund and let them know you are no longer getting what you pay for – your favorite newscasts and programming from WPXI.
7. Is there anything the public can do to help make sure that WPXI is back on VERIZON/Fios?
The best way for you to encourage a resolution is to register your support of how important it is for them to carry WPXI by calling VERIZON/Fios now at 800-837-4966. You pay VERIZON/Fios a lot of money. They should listen to their customers.
You can also view WPXI on other providers such as Comcast/Xfinity at www.xfinity.com, DIRECTV at www.directv.com, or DISH Network at www.dish.com and other local cable providers. WPXI is also accessible with an over the air antenna available at retail.
Regardless, we will continue to work hard and in good faith to try negotiating a fair carriage deal, as we have done with all of Verizon’s competitors and peers, so that you regain live access to your favorite programming. But the ball remains in VERIZON/Fios’s court to do the right thing by its customers.
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