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ABC Channel 12 Dark for Time Warner Cable Customers

Negotiations have broken down between WISN-12's parent company, Hearst Communications, and Time Warner Cable to keep the local ABC station airing for TWC customers.

If you turned on your television this morning to watch the early morning news on channel 12 or catch a bit of Good Morning America, you were probably surprised to get a movie from the Hallmark Channel instead.

The reason is because contract negotiations between WISN's parent company, Hearst Communications, and Time Warner Cable broke down over carriage fees. A press release from WISN-TV and Hearst Communications, the station's parent company, says that Time Warner terminated negotiations with the station and all other Hearst affiliates across the country, too.

WISN confirmed the news on its 10 pm newscast Thursday.

Like other media companies, Hearst wants the cable companies that carry its stations to pay a carriage fee. According to a story by Duane Dudek at jsonline, Time Warner said Hearst was trying hike the fee by 300 percent, but Hearst, not surprisingly, says that figure is "inaccurate."

Time Warner, according to Dudek's story, said it remains ready to continue negotiations and that customers shouldn't be put in the middle.

In the meantime, WISN remains free for those with an antenna and the station is live on other carriers like DISH Network, DirecTV and AT&T.

Stay tuned to Patch. We'll be sure to let readers know when they can catch their favorite summer series or reruns of episodes they might have missed during the regular season.

Heather Asiyanbi (Editor) July 13, 2012 at 02:49 pm
Here in Racine County we can still watch ABC on TWC because we get the Chicago stations in addition to the Milwaukee channels. So ... Ch. 7 was fine for me to watch GMA, but it was more than annoying to not get our more local news when the national show breaks for the local.
Dumper July 13, 2012 at 04:21 pm
Awesome. Almost time for me dump all cable and get Aerero. http://bit.ly/MqoWro
Time Warner is only going to make this easier for me to do with another price hike.
Jann July 13, 2012 at 04:50 pm
Yes Steve, I also heard it on the news and in the paper. My point is I am a Time Warner customer with a bill in the 150 range per month. They should have told me.
Kate July 13, 2012 at 07:43 pm
With all the revenue Channel 12 made with the recall elections and the incessant ads, why would they have to demand more money from TWC. In the end it trickles to the consumer, even if the 300% isn't true and it's a 75% increase. Channel 12 (Hearst Communications ) is responsible for a jack up in our cable costs.
Channel 12 can portray themselves as backing our community, but they are the ones directly gouging us.
Greg July 13, 2012 at 08:12 pm
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, how the heck am I gonna watch Shark Tank?
CowDung July 13, 2012 at 08:28 pm
Hulu.com
http://www.hulu.com/shark-tank
mau July 13, 2012 at 09:17 pm
Get Netflix, $7.99/month unlimited streaming. For local coverage get an antennae. Hook up a computer to your tv with your dsl service and watch all kinds of cable programming at no additional cost.
Norma Jean July 14, 2012 at 01:24 am
Both TWC and WISN are going to be hurt by this. Hulu here I come!
Dirk Gutzmiller July 14, 2012 at 01:46 am
AWD - We all know you watch the History Channel and root for Hitler.
Dirk Gutzmiller July 14, 2012 at 01:49 am
Get an antenna/rabbit ears. Cheaper, actually better HD quality technically, simpler choices. Who needs 345 channels of crap. Sitting there all the time watching the boob destroys your health.
Paul July 14, 2012 at 02:01 am
Who has time for television?
Jacob Dockter July 14, 2012 at 11:49 am
only hundreds of millions of Americans Paui
KJF July 14, 2012 at 05:25 pm
Yes, it's time for a massive dump of cable TV. All they've done over the past 20+ years is gouge thousands of dollars from each of us, provided crappy technology, obsolete features, and horrible tech support. Buy a $10 antenna like I did, add a TiVo for $15/mo if you want a GREAT DVR, then add NetFlix and Hulu. Went from $100+ to $30 per month... and no more outages and dropped channels like this!
skinnyDUDE July 14, 2012 at 06:05 pm
Cable tv is a sinking ship.. Once internet tvs take hold and HULU sites provide u all the programing you ever want. I just got rabbit ears now as that is all I need .I get my news online and the trend is against cable as a tv content provider. Thats why they fighting for phone , internet and multiple packages etc.............The tv part NEGOTIATIONS is them trying to control costs but in the end people will realize they dont need cable tv at all . It will be a slow cable death but it is coming more rapidly than people think . The technology is coming and will take hold that makes cable tv a thing of the past. Satilite dishes have driven the 1st nail in the coffin. They are squeezing the margins and when full internet takes hold Time Warner better figure away to get on board to the new revenue streams. The old way of doing business will fade away.
Kay July 15, 2012 at 01:00 pm
Isn’t this a breach of contract to the customers? When I signed up for Time Warner, I was told I would get my ABC affiliate. Now mid-contract, I am losing what I signed up for. Shouldn’t I be able to cancel my Time Warner without penalty since they are not keeping their end of the deal?
Heather Asiyanbi (Editor) July 15, 2012 at 01:34 pm
@Kay - excellent point!
skinnyDUDE July 15, 2012 at 02:24 pm
Read the fine print. LOL I am sure the contract states . Channels provided are SUBJECT TO CHANGE. But the Rabbit Ears clause might save you after cancellation! :)
Robert A July 16, 2012 at 12:28 am
I'm sure my cable bill will be reduced with the loss of this channel...right.
Lynn Lombardi July 16, 2012 at 05:43 pm
Since Time Warner Cable has been my cable company they have systematically removed several of my favorite channels without notification. I have expanded basic cable. I have lost WBZ channel 4, the oxygen channel, CMT, Court Tv , Cspan channel 18, and now no ABC TV which has some of my favorite shows. TWC has not replaced the deleted channels with any other programming, nor have they reduced the monthly fees. So far they have replaced channel 8 (ABC) with the Hallmark channel-big deal-I already get that channel on my plan. This morning they took both channels 8 and 99ABC) off theur listings on the TV Guide channel. This shows me they have no interest in negotiating to re-air ABC. Guess its time to find another company to get cable from.
Lynn Lombardi July 16, 2012 at 05:45 pm
I hope the matter between TWC and Hearst can be resolver soon I want my ABC shows back.
Lynn Lombardi July 16, 2012 at 05:47 pm
Kay, Sounds like a breach of contract to me. I am upset by the loss of ABC especially since no notice was given.
Chris July 16, 2012 at 06:04 pm
This is a constant battle between content providers and content deliverers. Blame ESPN, as they were the first content provider to charge carriage fees. ESPN, would buy rights to air games, and then charge cable companies a carriage fee to carry the game. If they didn't, irate sports fans would call up the cable operator, and demand they put the game on. Soon, all providers started to charge this fee. Unfortunately, when the cost of cable goes up, customers don't blame ABC/ESPN/Viacom, or any of the other providers, they blame the carrier, who is held hostage by the provider of content. If TWC stands up, and says this price is ridiculous, we won't pay it...they lose the carriage rights. I'm no fan of cable companies, but in the regard, they are in a lose/lose situation.
Carol July 17, 2012 at 04:30 pm
It seems like no matter which service you're with, you get screwed sooner or later. If it was ratings week, you can bet the channel wouldn't have been lost. It's the service, Time Warner, At&T uverse or whatever who is at fault. Hallmark was taken away from our AT& T service over a year ago and never got it back. They all give a good price to get you as a customer, but after the 6 mos or 1 year is up so does your cost.
kim campbell July 18, 2012 at 12:38 am
Do I get a reduction in my bill because my son can't watch wipe out, and I can't watch the Bachelor? This is really silly, and to be truthful if you hadn't changed the way we receive television signals, would be a mute point,, I am 2 steps away from Direct TV.
KJF July 18, 2012 at 01:26 am
Okay once again, the answer isn't to drop cable and start dumping money into satellite. If your TV has more than 1 input and is HD, just go to Walmart or Menards and buy a $10-30 hd antenna. Watch channel 12 over the air and you'll kick yourself because the picture will probably be much better than you had from cable! I did that for a week and decided that everything I watched was through the antenna and free. That's when I dropped it completely. Free at last, Free at last!!!
@-;-'---- Rose July 20, 2012 at 03:22 pm
One can tell Paul isn't 80 years old and retired from MANY years of hard work. I have to stay home and relax with the AC on during this weather.
@-;-'---- Rose July 20, 2012 at 03:27 pm
I can't believe anyone
finds those unsightly rabbit ears from the past to be a solution to this problem!!! Even if they make them LOOK better and/or PERFORM better...where does one put them?
@-;-'---- Rose July 20, 2012 at 03:29 pm
Hey Robert...I'm LMAO.....along with you, I'm sure.
@-;-'---- Rose July 20, 2012 at 03:33 pm
I also have my computer on cable with TW...don't know what my solution would be. Can't ask my "know it all" son as we don't communicate well.
Althea January 3, 2013 at 07:17 pm
ABC greedy greedy. Are you kidding me I just now in Washington state are feeling their 300% hike and they are off our Cable provider. Makes me soooooooooo mad I will not even consider buying a Disney product of any sort as I believe from what I was reading across the net they are all one company. Greedy is all I can say.

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Site definitely got a nice upgrade. Congrats as its like a new window to this world.
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skinnyDUDE - we like it, too ... just wait until the app comes available. It's so cool!
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