WIBW goes off Cox Cable system in Salina

By DAVID CLOUSTON

Salina Journal

Salina area viewers of Topeka television station WIBW are besieging the station's phone switchboard and e-mail with complaints since Cox Communications announced it has dropped the station from the cable system channel lineup.

Since Monday, cable viewers tuning in to Channel 13 have seen this message: "WIBW is no longer available due to its out-of-market status. You can view CBS programming on KWCH Channel 12."

The station's general manager, Jim Ogle, said it was an arbitrary decision by Cox executives to take WIBW off the Salina airwaves.

"Obviously we're not happy about it," Ogle said Wednesday. "We wish we had some measure of control."

He said he would agree to have the station carried in Salina "in 15 seconds. But this was totally their call," he said.

The problem arose from negotiations with Cox for rights to retransmit WIBW's signal. Their agreement didn't specify which local cable systems outside of the Topeka market would have to continue to carry the station.

"We didn't realize the need to write it into the contract because we weren't asking them for money for those (cable systems in cities) inside our market," Ogle said.

The Topeka market area extends as far west as Junction City, in Geary County, but doesn't include Salina and areas of Dickinson County where Cox formerly carried WIBW.

Ogle said he would offer the station's broadcast to Cox for free -- with no retransmission fee required -- if Cox would reconsider.

But instead, Cox likely intends to replace WIBW with a channel that is paying Cox to be broadcast, Ogle said.

"They want the mix that makes them the most money," he said.

Avoiding duplication

Sarah Kauffman, Cox's spokeswoman in Kansas, said Tuesday that Cox is looking to better manage its bandwidth and provide a better mix of programming to customers. There has been no decision made yet about what channel will replace WIBW, she said.

She said Cox tries, where it can, to not duplicate programming. WIBW and KWCH (Wichita) are both CBS affiliates and have been carried by Cox in Salina for years.

The Salina system also includes two ABC affiliates, KAKE-TV, Wichita, and KMBC Channel 9, out of Kansas City.

Cox's retransmission agreement with the Hearst Co., owners of KMBC, lists Salina as a market where Cox has to carry the channel, "which is why you still have KMBC," Ogle said.

No longer a city decision

Cable franchise agreements are no longer governed by cities but at the state level by the Kansas Corporation Commission. Cities have control over the right-of-way access to the wiring and equipment used by providers but have no leverage over their programming choices, said Salina City Manager Jason Gage.

State lawmakers passed the law giving up city control of cable franchises three years ago. The law was passed mainly at the urging of AT&T. AT&T promised the new law could increase competition for providing video services as it expands its business throughout the state to compete with Cox and other providers.

"There have been frustrations at the state level, as well as the city level, at the relative lack of things we can control," said state Sen. Pete Brungardt, R-Salina.

Rep. Charlie Roth, R-Salina, said AT&T is building out first in Kansas City and Wichita, and he doesn't regret the law's passage.

"Competition is a good thing. If we lose a little local control because of it ... I think, ultimately, the consumers will benefit," Roth said.

Had significant viewers

Ogle said WIBW doesn't have authority to force Cox to carry the station in the Salina market. He thinks the station did have significant viewers in Salina for its newscasts, partly because meteorologist Rob Peppers is a Salina native. The station also holds appeal for fans of KU and Kansas State athletics, for its sports coverage, he said.

Ogle said a few years ago the same thing happened when Cox took WIBW off the cable system in Iola, choosing to carry a CBS affiliate from Pittsburg, instead.

"I have viewers from there calling me to this day looking for some legal recourse," Ogle said. "But, really, there is none."

n Reporter David Clouston can be reached at 822-1403 or by e-mail at dclouston@salina.com.

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Soon-to-be ex Cox customer says....
When I called the Cox head offices, I was given the "reason" that CBS needed more bandwith. HUH???? My email answer from WIBW was that the decision was entirely Cox's and did NOT involve any request for funds from WIBW, and that it was not their choice. They asked that Salina viewers protest with Cox.
6/4/2009

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LOL says....
The more Cox cable screws their subscribers, the more people will turn to Dish TV and the Internet. So it's all good.
6/4/2009

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bird44 says....
if the citizens who are complaining are able to email then they might also be able to vist that stations website and watch it there
6/4/2009

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says....
KWCH is a more professional news station. The only advantage to having WIBW is when Wichita interrupts CBS evening programming and puts Wichita Shockers and other city sports on that people outside of Wichita do not care about.
6/4/2009

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Stewart says....
CBS? Who cares.
6/4/2009

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GIA says....
ATT lobbied our elected representatives to vote yes. Kansas League of Municipalities, several of our cities, and some of the Cable operators spoke against the bill. Guess how the vote went? 128-0 I think it was… Cities and Cable operators lost control of their relationships and the value to both the Cities and the businesses, built over many years, so ATT could have the right to file one franchise state wide and simply let the consumer pay the 5% franchise fee as the pass through tax that it is. You might want Charlie and friends to explain how all that helps us.
6/4/2009

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