Are you sick of being played by BOTH Scripps and Cablevision?

Cablevision is greedy, their customer service is deplorable, and apparently, they’re not exactly big on the whole negotiation/compromise thing. That’s the truth, and it’s not much of a surprise. But what about Scripps?

When attempting to view the Food Network or HGTV on New Years Day, most people (like my wife and I) were shocked that it was no longer there. And like most people, we went online to find out what had happened. It didn’t take long for us to learn from Scripps (the owner of FN and HGTV) that those channels had been “dropped.” We did what I imagine many people did: We called Cablevision demanding they put the channels back on the air and get back to business.

My wife found the Scripps websites, ILoveFoodNetwork.com and ILoveHGTV.com. There, Scripps posts “updates” on the ongoing situation. At first, this seemed like a pretty good idea. Now, I believe those websites will turn out to be one of a few big mistakes. As a result of those sites, something came into focus for me, as well as almost every single other commenter on that site: Scripps is playing us just as bad as Cablevision—correction: worse. Here’s what I mean:

• Neither Food Network or HGTV was dropped by Cablevision. It was PULLED by Scripps because Cablevision was not where Scripps wanted them to be in the negotiation process. Indeed, Scripps themselves have said that many times that those channels did not have to be pulled, and that channels are often allowed to stay on the air (via short-term extensions) even though contracts are not complete. However, according to Scripps, this only occurs “when the two parties are engaged in productive negotiations and there has been substantive agreement between them” (source). Likewise, on CNBC, Food Network president, Brooke Johnson, was asked why Scripps didn’t just let the stations continue to air while Scripps and Cablevision worked out a deal. Johnson said that they didn’t allow that to happen because, traditionally, “there are no extensions unless you’re in really productive conversations…”  SO: Is Cablevision an unfair or just plain bad negotiator? Sure, could be. Are they greedy and cheap? Sure, could be. But let’s get it straight: SCRIPPS pulled their own programming.
• Perhaps you got a nice warm feeling inside when you found the website ILoveFoodNetwork.com. Perhaps you thought, “Oh good. Someone cares about us. Someone cares what we think.” Well, face it: Scripps is using its Food Network and HGTV viewers as pawns. Weeks ago, Fox was also struggling to reach a deal with Cablevision. Rather than wait til they pulled their programming then claim they were “dropped” to tell us about it, Fox actually got the word out ahead of time while their programming was on the air. Yes, they encouraged viewers to contact Cablevision and encourage them to play nice. But they did it ahead of time, which gave viewers the opportunity to consider and investigate the situation. Scripps made little to no effort to let its viewers know about the impending shut-off of its programming. Yet, they (Scripps) claim that “Scripps Networks has been trying to have productive negotiations with Cablevision for more than six months, but to no avail” (source). So face it, for a half a year as negotiations stalled out, Scripps didn’t really give a damn what you or I thought about their plight. Instead, they pulled their own programming, THEN told us it was “dropped,” and set up a website, hotline, and an eCard service so that we could “Help [them] get HGTV and Food Network back on the air.” In other words, we are getting gamed; we are getting played.
• Make no mistake, this is about money, and we will likely lose. Scripps is unhappy because their prior deal with Cablevision gave them 25 cents per subscriber. That ranked them (according to Brooke Johnson) about 76th of the top 80 cable channels. And yet, as far as viewership goes, they are in the Top 10. Does that mean they deserve more money? Arguably, it does. However, viewers like us need to understand that by demanding more money, Scripps is putting Cablevision in a position where it will likely pass the rate increase along to us. Look at the financials of both companies. Numbers such as those are up for interpretation, but I think many people would agree that Scripps is actually doing better than Cablevision. What’s more, we’re trying to climb our way out of a recession. Scripps is free to try to get the best money for its services. But right now we’re in a time when people are unemployed and struggling, and businesses are downsizing and shuttering. If Scripps gets what it wants it will either come from our wallets, or it will take a toll on an already struggling Cablevision. Meantime, Scripps isn’t struggling. They just want more money. Hey, that’s their right. But let’s not sugarcoat the context and consequences.

If it seems that my axe to grind is mainly with Scripps, it’s because…well…it probably is. But then, Cablevision has always been, in my mind, a poorly run company with terrible customer services and high rates. Our only alternative around here, Verizon FiOS, is no better (or it’s worse considering the contracts). So, really, the bar is set fairly low for Cablevision. And I do blame them for their apparent (or alleged) unwillingness to negotiate. Honestly, more than six months? Really? That’s pathetic that a deal couldn’t be reached.

Scripps, however, is the company who provides comforting programming during these economically and politically trying times. We are at war, we are worried about our jobs (will we keep it, will we find a new one), we are worried about how to pay the bills. Can we afford to buy a house? Should we rent? Where should we live? How can we eat well on a budget? In many ways, there’s no better time for the programming of the Food Network and HGTV. Alton Brown teaches how nearly everything in the kitchen should be a multi-tasker, and how most fancy tools are unnecessary and overpriced. Other shows teach us how to prepare healthy and tasty meals quickly and for only a few dollars. In the meantime, HGTV educates us about affordable areas to buy in. They show us what first time homebuyers should do. They even have shows for renters. Ironic then, that they have been the ones to take advantage of us. They have played with the facts, and they are counting on OUR ire to be THEIR ammunition.

I am not looking to tell anyone what to do. I can only speak for myself. Cablevision never had any of my loyalty. I’d have dropped them in a second if there was any other (decent) alternative. But Scripps did have my loyalty. However, their actions (pulling their programming without any warning to its viewers, which manipulates us into fighting their battles) have resulted in a total loss of loyalty of all things Scripps. So unless FN is restored TODAY (this is Tuesday morning, January 5th), Scripps CAN count on me making my voice heard to Cablevision: I will be urging them to NOT negotiate with Scripps, and encouraging them to drop the programming completely.

Tags: cablevision, food network, hgtv, scripps