Unexpected DTV fallout: Some Bright House cable customers won't see WUSF-Ch. 16 after today

When Marvin Charette clicked on WUSF-Ch. 16 Friday afternoon, he was expecting to see the global news report on PBS’ Worldfocus series.

Instead, the 53-year-old Dunedin resident ran into unexpected fallout from the digital television switch, as cable provider Bright House Networks took the Tampa station out of its analog tier, making WUSF accessible only to customers with digital cable.

Charette, who only has standard cable service, isn’t sure he wants to pay the extra $1 per month charge for a tuner allowing him to see WUSF. And as a former contributor to the public television station, he’s not sure he’ll be giving money in the future, either.

“I can’t see the station – why would I give money to it?” he said. “It’s like Bright House is trying to get extra money from us.”

To minimize confusion in the transition to digital TV, cable companies agreed to keep most local broadcasters on the same analog channels they occupied before turning off their analog signals.

But when it comes to PBS, cable providers are only are only required to carry one public television station in the analog and digital tier in each TV market. Bright House chose WEDU-Ch. 3 for the Tampa Bay area, because it carries more PBS programming than WUSF, broadcasts in high definition and has a higher viewership.

That meant WUSF could choose between inclusion on the digital tier – where Bright House digital cable customers could see their four different digital channels (in graphic at right) – or they could stay only on the analog tier, where all the company’s subscribers would see just one channel.

The change makes WUSF, a station licensed to the University of South Florida, the only local broadcast station dropped from the analog tier by Bright House -- which is the area’s largest cable provider with more than a million customers.

So why didn’t Bright House just leave WUSF on the analog tier, too?

“It’s a business decision,” said spokesman Joe Durkin, who would not reveal exactly how many Bright House customers could not see WUSF because they don’t have digital cable, noting that “over 60 percent” of their subscribers get the service. “We’re going to utilize the space for other programming.”

JoAnn Urofsky, general manager at WUSF, noted Comcast Cable in Sarasota pulled their station from the analog tier when they stopped broadcasting an analog signal back in April. Bright House kept simulcasting WUSF until Friday, when all Tampa stations turned off their analog signals, but didn’t tell station officials how many customers might not see their station after the switch, Urofsky said.

“Of course, I’m upset – our staff has been fielding calls all day,” added Urofsky, who acknowledged that the station learned in November it had to choose. “We didn’t know how much of a difference there was between people who have standard cable service and people who have digital.”

The digital switch went a bit more smoothly for other area broadcast stations, where officials reported receiving dozens of calls from viewers who mostly had questions about installing digital-to-analog converters and orienting their antennas to improve reception.

“I think it’s gone pretty well,” said Ken Tonning, general manager at St. Petersburg CBS affiliate WTSP-Ch. 10, which received about 200 calls Friday after ending its analog signal at 5 a.m.

And Chris Hendrix, the Gibsonton technician profiled in a Friday St. Petersburg Times story was happy to report a busy day helping customers. Hired by a Texas company as part of a government-funded program providing free installation help for converters, Hendrix got no calls until stories in the Times and WTVT-Ch. 13 highlighted his plight.

“My office had 100 messages this morning,” he said, noting that most customers needed help with reception because digital signals travel differently. “I don’t feel like the Maytag repairman any more.”

Comments

[Mark]

Ana and Walter Kraus:
Once again, this was a move forced upon Channel 16 by Bright House. PBS did not abandon you. Bright House did.

[Ana and Walter Kraus]

After so many years of enjoyment watching channel 16 and supporting PBS you abandoned us. So much for PBS.

[Larry]

The decision of Brighthouse to drop WUSF
from its analog tier is shameful. Wonder what kind of garbage the dim bulbs at BH will put in its place? It's all about greed.

[KID]

I THINK THIS A DIRTY DEAL.

[mockdraught]

Memo to Mr. Bright. And you, too, Mr. House.

This is not the way to make friends.

[Justin]

I'd be upset if I actually watched WUSF. I'm no Dim House fan, however, and this smacks of yet another money grab. I'm still waiting for them to put something in the basic tier to replace Movieplex. Here's hoping that Knology makes it way to Pasco County sooner than later!

[Jacquelin]

What a surprise...Bright House lied again. I would guess that as time goes on their business model has them taking aay more channels while charging more for services and fees. Don't get this company! They will scam you every chance they get!

[Mark]

Sanford@902a--the disengenuous act was done by Brighthouse NOT Ch. 16. There was no 'swindle' by 16 as this was something Brighthouse forced on them.

And Pete@1028a, "This DTV sucks, it only helps the tv stations !" Trust me, this transition, particularly with the delay from the first deadline to June 12th, ended up costing TV stations a lot of money.

Folks need to remember that this was NOT the choice of all TV stations. This was something the Federal Government voted on and mandated. There were more regulations and work forced up the TV stations to make sure they were in compliance with dozens and dozens of regulations in informing the public about these changes and how they would occur.

I would bet if you talked to station owners, managers, and, in particular, the engineers who had to meet all these regulations, that most wouldn't have wanted to do this at all.

[sanford danziger]

SaDanzig: In my opinion, a disingenuous act has been pulled by the Brighthouse Cable Network. The advertisments about the change over from analog to digital gave guidlines to follow. The TV adds imlied that if you have Cable or Satellite service there is nothing for you to do.
Based on this erroneous information I
didn't bother to secure a Cable Converter box. When CH16 pulled the
analog "plug" they committed a fraud on their part no matter what they claim.
I will complain to the proper Government
Officials Federal & State. As far as I am concerned this unthinkable for a PBS
TV station to pull such a awindile!!!
WUSF is a State Institution . My how low can you get!!! No wonder Flori-Duh
is a ecopnomic disaster!!!

[Robert]

I should add here that I can occasionally pick up 3, but it can be tricky. The only reason I would want to get cable is for ESPN, but I can do without it. Screw BHN AND Verizon.

[Robert]

Using rabbit ears from the living room TV of my second floor apartment just south of I-4 in Lakeland my best reception of digital channels comes from turning the antenna just east and west of due south, AWAY from the Riverview stick farm. I pick up 8 (most of the time), 13, 16, 22, 28, 32, 38, 44, 50, 56, and 66. Occasionally I am able to pick up 9 from Orlando. It's a little different from my bedroom, which is actually facing northbound and with the rabbit ears right next to a window. The antenna is not of the caliber of the living room ears, but I still get pick up most of those described above.

[Slickychick]

Channel 10 moved on frequency only from Digital 24 to Digital 10 when they took there analog 10 down.Sill on same stick in Tarpon.Since there no longer xmitting on UHF and now on VHF there able to reduce there transmit power by 50% to save big $$$ on electric but in doing so lost just about everyone on rabbit ears & converter bx.LOTS OF COMPLAINTS!!! WEDU PBS3 moved into 13's freq slot when WTVT shut there 13 analog down. WTVT has not moved there dig. Still on 12 since 2000. 10 might have to raise power so keep scanning your convrter bx..Having fun yet?

[Tom]

I'll bet BrightHouse gets pressured into adding 16. No problem with Verizon, but based on having to use their adapters and their customer service, I wouldn't recommend them.

[pete]

All 4 channels of 16 come in great over my converter tv. But now channel 10 is broken reception here in manatee county since they moved to their tarpon transmiter. This DTV sucks, it only helps the tv stations !

[Glenn]

Bright House ads before the conversion said, "if you have cable you don't need to do anything--you're ready." Obviously with regard to WUSF this was a bald-faced lie. Also, just because they're only "required" to have one public station doesn't mean they couldn't show more as a public service. What "other' broadcasting do they plan instead--more shopping channels? Bright House is cheating its customers on this one.

[Robert]

Just to be sure: We're being told to rescan the digital channels a few times this weekend to pick up new channels. For those of us who have done so, the Tampa Bay stations won't be adding any more channels to those they have already launched, right? Or have we not been advised yet? I would presume at this point WTVT, for example, will continue their same picture on 13-1 and 13-2.

[Bonnie]

>Frankly, Bonnie, I don't think WUSF knew how many Bright House subscribers don't get digital cable.

Yeah. I think you're right, but I think if I ran WUSF, I'd like to have that number.

Joe Durkin in your story says 60% of all BrightHouse subscribers get the digital service. That means that 40% do not get the digital service. So how many BrightHouse subscribers are in the Tampa Bay media market? Let's say there are 1 million.* Then we're talking about 400,000 people. That looks like a big number to me.

(* = http://www.multichannel.com/article/132169-Bright_House_Taps_Robertson_To_Lead_Tampa_Unit.php)

[ring master]

switching over to digital TV is like pulling off a band-aid... just do it and get it over with

[Eric Deggans]

Frankly, Bonnie, I don't think WUSF knew how many Bright House subscribers don't get digital cable.

There is a converter you can get from Bright House to access the public access channels, which should also access WUSF and WEDU's digital channels. That tuner costs $1 more a month. The Bright House person you talked to was trying to sell you digital cable.

Monica, if it is possible, I would suggest you tell your tuner to look for the channels again. If it is not possible, then I suggest you try elevating your antenna. if that isn't possible, you may need to use a powered antenna to boost the signal...

[Monica]

After the switch to digital was complete I lost channel 10 (CBS) and DayStar. Its strange.

[Bonnie]

The biggest problem is that Channel 16 only told viewers to get a converter box IF THEY DID NOT HAVE CABLE TV. Since Channel 16 knew this switch would not include their channel, they really should have told us ahead of time.
So much for PUBLIC tv.
And when I called BrightHouse this afternoon, I was not told of a $1/month tuner. I was told of a $7/month converter.