Bonten Media Group owns and operates ABC WCTI in the Greenville-New Bern-Washington NC DMA, and it has a hand in the operation of Esteem Broadcasting’s two local Fox affiliates, WFXI and WYDO in the DMA. Unless an agreement is reached very soon, the stations will disappear from the lineup of Time Warner Cable systems in the area.
Bonton says it’s been trying to get an agreement, but thus far to no avail. Said Bonten Media Group’s Chairman and CEO, Randall Bongarten, “We are continuing to negotiate, and working hard to resolve this issue in a fair and timely manner.”
WCTI is on Channel 12 and licensed to New Bern; WFXI operates out of Morehead City on Channel 8; and WYDO operates out of Greenville on Channel 47.
Bonten posted has a message on its WCTI website advising consumers of the situation. “On Jan. 1, 2012, WCTI-TV NewsChannel 12 may remove its lineup from Time-Warner Cable systems in Eastern North Carolina. Time-Warner Cable customers who wish to continue to receive WCTI-TV are encouraged to call Time-Warner and ask them to agree to fair terms to continue carrying WCTI-TV NewsChannel 12. Time-Warner cable charges its customers subscription fees to receive WCTI-TV’s programming. Yet, it refuses to pay WCTI fair compensation for that programming. Depsite our efforts, WCTI-TV NewsChannel 12 has not yet been able to reach a fair agreement with Time-Warner Cable. Negotiations are on-going, and we are working to resolve this issue in a fair and timely manner.”
Viewers were given a list of MVPDs offering the WCTI that might provide an alternative source for the channel, depending on location (it also listed TWC locations):
* Belhaven Cable TV — Belhaven
* Charter Communications — Camp Lejeune, Chinquapin, Holly Ridge
* Crystal Broadband — Oak City, Pinetops, Simpson
* Hyde County Cable — Englehard
* Mediacast — Snow Hill
* Mediacom Southeast LLC — Arrowhead Beach, Columbia, Conway, Edenton, Plymouth, Rich Square
* Ocracoke Cable TV — Ocracoke
* Reds TV & Cable — Bath
* Suddenlink Communications — Greenville, New Bern, Kinston, Tarboro, Washington, Williamston
* Time-Warner Cable / Duplin — Beulaville
* Time-Warner Cable / Onslow-Carteret — Bayboro, Jacksonville, Newport
* Time-Warner Cable / Farmville — Farmville, Pink Hill
* Tri-County Communcation — Belhaven
* Vital Communications — Fountain
* DirecTV — Entire Viewing Area
* EchoStar Satellite Corp. — Entire Viewing Area
