Tegna Negotiations / Local Channels

Nice to see some commentary from an official agent. I agree with you, this is the stuff we ACEs tell customers as well. This is certainly not ideal but again Tegna is asking double or even triple for channels that can be had for free with alternate methods like downloading the app on a streaming device or setting up the OTA antenna.

@anon098 , excuse me but local channels are NOT free with pay TV providers. I also worked for a 3rd party taking directv calls on 2 different occasions and 2 different 3rd party call centers, I also worked for dish network and Comcast there is indeed a charge for locals the ONLY way they're free is over the air with an antenna. My first time working for directv was during a time when not all the dma's were available so the base packages came "with locals" and "no locals" the "no locals " packages were $12.00 less per month because they didn't include locals,  since then a lot more dmas have been added so the billing system no longer itemize the locals therefore people don't know that they're paying for  locals, you as a current agent should know this. Having said all that,  I do agree with the rest of your post 

@anon098 

I must applaud you taking the initiative for making such a post in the first place. And with the nightmare of calls you must have received, I am impressed on how clear you kept your points and refrained from devolving into an emotional mess (akin to many calls you've received I imagine).

I hope many see your post and get some perspective from it on the situation. In experience, though Tegna (local affiliate owner) has done this before, it normally is resolved within a matter of days or a couple weeks or so, as opposed to some other network owners.

One point I do wish to make, locals are not 'free' for a pay TV provider. They show as a $0 because there is no line item charge for them anymore. Years ago they were an add-on. But eventually everyone expected locals so DirecTV bundled the price into the base package cost and that is the same over all customers. When local channel rates go up to the TV provider then that does factor into future price adjustments. And all customers are affected regardless if they watch the channels or even if they don't live in an area that gets those channels.

That clarification on actual cost is a valid concern for many, but does not excuse any immature behavior when they call into customer support. I would take this time to again suggest for those that are within signal range, plug in a regular antenna to get the actual free broadcast. Might even find additional channels you cannot get through DirecTV as well. If that doesn't work, find something else to watch in the other channels you have. Most people do not go to pay TV specifically for their locals but instead what their locals do not provide.

@nabukl and @Juniper 

thank you so much for informing me that local channels do have a cost!

I am still kind of a new agent and I wish I could say our training environment actually taught us anything but unfortunately we learn majority of things from customers educating us. 

thank you once again, I will educate my co-workers on this!

and thank you, @detuch254 for being very understanding.

customers like all of you make this job worth it. 

I do hope that tegna negotiations end soon, this is my first time experiencing that. With many new agents on the floor starting barely October, negative comments really impact them and multiple have already quit leading to a higher call volume (there may be some long wait times), I’m kind of used to them as I was new during the Nexstar negotiations but I do hope that some customers realize that we are human too and cannot do much, specially as third party agents. 

Thanks for your perspective. You're spot-on.

Impacted customers should check out this excellent video explaining why corporate network owners keep demanding more and more money from cable, satellite and streaming providers to deliver FREE off-air TV stations ....

"Local TV Station Blackouts to Happen More Ofter - Here's Why"

https://youtu.be/XXkmWUgllcc?si=eCzrWDxQaw7ncTR3

As a customer it's very frustrating. The agreements and negotiations should of been taken care of before any black out of stations. As a customer never has DirecTV let their customers know that there are negotiations going on.. just darkness. This is a avoidable if they truly value their customers. As the negotiations were being done to be renewed DirecTV chose to raise rates $5 more per package knowing full well they were in making agreements and negotiations with Tegna. Why at that time do they raise rates before the negotiation was done with Tegna?? Now we will get to see more increases when this agreement is made? DirecTV has chose to do this to their loyal customers. Bring back my local KTVB.

I feel like a lot of others their is greed on both sides of this! 

@DaringD 

Watch the video I linked a couple of posts before yours. These outrageous "contract disputes" are killing satellite, cable and streaming providers. 

"Local TV Station Blackouts to Happen More Ofter - Here's Why"

https://youtu.be/XXkmWUgllcc?si=eCzrWDxQaw7ncTR3

DTV raises the rate at the beginning of the year which includes all the price increases that happened the year before,  DTV has no idea how much more Tenga will yet until they renew the contract.  DTV does start talking long before the end date of the contract and in some cases they settle before the end date.

@DaringD 

They have a annual price adjustment. This takes into account all the negotiations that have already happened. As such, it would be expected that Tegna's negotiation would affect the next adjustment. The adjustment usually notifies in December with new rates in January, so this is unique with it happening a couple months early.

Negotiations start before the agreement ends. Ideally this all happens behind closed doors where we customers have no knowledge that it happened and all go on their merry way. Sometimes, the channel owner (Tegna this time) wants to hold out for higher costs. So they put a "scare tactic" scrawl message on the screen before the agreement ends and then when it does choose to remove the channel (as is their right). The idea is to upset customers enough to try and force the TV provider (DirecTV) to cave to their demands, which then adds into the next price adjustment.

So DirecTV could avoid the blackout by giving Tegna their higher rates and raising cost that much more. And then you would be still complain about how they value their customers. There is no win. Either channel is never gone and raise the bills even more then they already have or negotiate with channel gone for a while (hopefully short) to minimize cost. These are business decisions, but Tegna's decisions lean into even higher rates so they can stay gone to reduce that impact.

So bottom line, Tegna chose to do this to us customers. Now you have the facts about how the channel owner "appreciates" your loyalty.