🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <83ijr5$mjk$1@athena.netset.com>,
  "Betsey" <betseyk@netset.com> wrote:
>
> Jeff Billman wrote in message <83i2te$p80$1@nnrp1.deja.com>...
> >In article <83hcfr$8be$1@athena.netset.com>,

> >This is one of those debates that few outside our little Camelot of
> >metro Columbus care about,
>
> Although, Jeff..it has more to do with ohio than the hate posts seen
> here recently.  ;o)

Very true.  I always have to throw that disclaimer in, though, when I
talk about Columbus in oh.general.  A few years ago, I was living in
Toledo and was frustrated that oh.general was all about Columbus.  So I
let loose with a flame to some innocent message by Campus Partners
about High St redevelopment.  (BTW- if anyone from Campus Partners
remembers that, I am *really* sorry.)  Then, the unthinkable happened-
I moved here. :-)

> I heard that TW cannot bring in another affiliate, since
> WBNS "exists" in this area.

Yep, under the Satellite Home Viewer Act a cable company or satellite
programming service cannot provide network programming from an outside
affiliate if the signal from a local affiliate is within some
acceptable level of signal strength.  This is why WUAB gets pre-empted
by an infomercial anytime it airs UPN programming (on Insight, anyway).

However, this has rarely (never?) been tested when an affiliate refuses
to give a provider the right to carry.  Already, some exceptions exist
when another set of affiliates is within broadcasting range- good
example is Buckeye Cablevision (ironically, a TW subsidiary) carrying
Detroit stations in addition to Toledo without having to pre-empt
network programming.

They might (doubtful, but maybe) be able to argue that WKRC is within
signal strength- I've been able to pick it up on a few clear nights in
NE Columbus using rabbit ears.  Barring that, I'm sure TW could drag
out some lawyers who could argue something along the lines of WBNS
consented to TW carrying another affiliate by barring it from carrying
10TV.  Some twisting of "negligient consent", I guess.  (You can tell
I'm not a lawyer.)

> The only ones I see who venture to gain is Ameritech through
> Americast. After seeing the lousy service we get on telephone
> service, however... there is NO WAY I would ever leave Time Warner.

Gotta put in a quick unsolicited plug for CoreComm, which provides
residential telephone service in all of Ameritech's Ohio markets.  I
switched to them from Ameritech & never looked back.

Also noticed that Americast is in Atlanta, too- under the guise of Bell
South.  Just try to tell me Ma Bell is really broken up!

> Now.. tw customers dropping
> Dispatch subscriptions en masse  could be an interesting movement.
> Too bad they are the only daily game in town.

No doubt!  SNP papers are good, but they're weekly & rather light on
news metro-wide.  Even The Other Paper has issues where local news is
glossed over.  Columbus Post is strong in the central city, but light
in the suburbs.  And regional & national news is non-existant on all of
the above.  I've been tempted on more than one occasion to subscribe to
the Akron Beacon Journal, whose statewide coverage is extremely strong-
even to the point of scooping the Dismal, er, Dispatch on some Columbus-
based stories.

Well, hey, I managed to squeeze in Toledo, Warren, Cleveland,
Cincinnati, and Akron in this post (with Detroit & Atlanta thrown in
for good measure).  Guess this is on-topic for oh.general. :-)
--
Jeff Billman
Columbus, OH


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