Status Report

It seems like practically yesterday when I wrote the previous post, but the calendar tells me that it’s been quite a bit longer than that.  Looking back, I guess I didn’t think of any of my recent tasks as particularly noteworthy... just takin’ care of business.

Retransmission Consent is a done deal, and although I’m not paying as much as the local stations originally asked, I’m still paying too much.

I’ve been working to bring the business affairs of the company into some semblance of order with the various suppliers who make my final product possible.  More unexpected previously-unpaid bills have come up... and as you might expect, this has slowed my progress somewhat on other projects as I do have to work within the constraints of the funds available at any given moment.

There are some technical issues still vying for my attention… although, despite the fact that I wish I had accomplished more in the amount of time I’ve been at this, in the grand analysis I am glad that I have made as much progress as I have.

I’ve begun the process of rearranging the channels in Bentley to put things in a more logical sequence, and repairing or replacing hardware that isn’t performing up to spec.  Distribution of television and Internet signals on a coaxial cable network is a delicate balancing act – and recalibrating equipment to achieve the proper balance is an ongoing process.

Within the next few weeks, I hope to have things going as generally smoothly in Bentley as I have gotten them going in Marquette – and then it’s back to Marquette for more tweaking until the system there too is truly up to my standards.

In Bentley, Fox News will be coming back.  PBS Explore, TBN, JCTV, and Smile of a Child are also coming to Bentley, joining the recently-added channels PBS Create and KWCH Storm Team 12 Weather.  (PBS Explore is also coming soon to Marquette.)  I am also in discussions with Fox Business and Fox Sports Midwest/Kansas City for carriage of their signals on Blue Sky Cable, in both towns.  You probably already know, or could take a lucky guess, that each channel I carry involves royalties paid by me each month to the provider of that signal. Prices vary wildly by channel, from a few cents to several dollars for each customer on the system. These royalties ultimately end up on your cable bill. I very much value your feedback in this regard.

Interestingly, the programming providers (with the exception of the premium channels) flat-out refuse to allow me to let individual subscribers decide whether or not they want a particular channel. No – it’s all or nothing.  If I add a channel to the system – pretty much without exception – I have to make it available to all customers.

I’m not singling them out – just by way of example, here – Question: Do I have the option of selling ESPN or The Discovery Channel to only those who watch them, and not to those who don’t?  Answer: No, I do not have that option.  If I want to offer one channel to any customer, I have to include it for all customers.  These are rules laid down by the people who are in control – the providers of the programming, not the cable company.

The only exception they allow is for “Limited Basic Cable” – and limited basic isn’t permitted to include any of the nationwide services, except for C-SPAN, the religious channels, and The Weather Channel.  Those channels, plus the local TV channels, are all that’s permitted to be included in Limited Basic… which, by the way, is now available for $16.00 per month if you’d like to sign up.