Nexstar Negotiations

@Shellb 

we cannot even get internet with direct TV.

Of course you cannot get internet with DirecTV. They are a TV provider, not a internet provider.

But our bill keeps skyrocketing out of control.

Networks charge TV providers (all TV providers) more and more over the years. So TV provider's operating costs go up, then so do our bills. Best you can do is review the package and optional services you have and make sure you are not subscribed to more than you use.

Then when we're late paying the bill it conveniently loses signal with the "wireless" ( oh ok) box.

If you go past due far enough, then your service is suspended of course. However, just being past due doesn't cause technical issues, so no correlation there even if it seems convienient (your perception, not reality).

There are over 500 houses in our development but no internet providers.

Has nothing to do with DirecTV. They have never been an internet provider. They have been satellite TV.

We love our local news too all the other stations are in New York or LA. This whole situation is (Edited per community guidelines).

Yes this situation is extremely annoying and frustrating any time it happens. Unfortunately only Nexstar can return the channel(s) as they own them. As normal they want to increase costs even higher. TV providers cannot stop these cost increases, just minimize them as best they can.

A regular OTA antenna is suggested as a backup to get anything in range. Might get sub-channels as well, since those are not carried by DirecTV. The stance of myself and many is why should we (TV provider and customer) keep paying more and more for our 'free' locals. Certainly not the channels I went to pay TV for.

They are all scammers and tack on more and more charges.

They are not scammers just because you are upset. They don't simply "tack" on more charges. Costs do go up over time and providers cannot just absorb those costs. Everything has gone up over the years. You don't still pay less than $1 for a cup of coffee or a gallon of gas do you? Everybody, consumer and businesses included, are just tryin to keep up.

In the end pay TV is optional entertainment. Not something to freak out about. Either use the antenna option or watch one of the many other channels you get in your service.

You don't pay per month, you are paying for you billing cycle that started the day you where installed then on day 2 the bill is made and sent (or payed if you are on auto pay) on day 20 the bill is due.  While you can cancel at anytime it doesn't go into effect until the end of your billing cycle.  Dish is not immune to the renewing of the contracts with locals and nationwide channels.

@lasvegasguy12 

You are aware that Dish is not immune right? They go through these same type of negotiations. Nexstar is becoming one of the worst. This is just DirecTV's turn. And when Nexstar pulls from Dish again, will you cry at Dish or stop giving into Nexstar's leverage?

Many companies no longer prorate the bill. DirecTV (or AT&T) is neither the first nor last. You are paying for the service month that already started, so are just finishing it out.

Yes YouTube got the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. Current generation is pushing hard for streaming services, even though not everyone can use them. This was a hard blow to those who cannot get good enough internet (or internet at all) to rely on streaming-only.

Use a regular antenna and get the free broadcast of locals, and perhaps sub-channels in your area, regardless who your TV provider is. Most of us went to pay TV for what our locals could not provide.

We can go back and forth over channel 8 negotiations and I get it.  Dish’s turn will come and I’ll worry about that when it happens.  What we can’t dispute is I will be getting more channels, more features, a $300 gift card, more powerful DVR and a lower bill.  That’s enough for me.  Getting channel 8 is a bonus for me right now I guess because Direct TV doesn’t even have it.  I pay for locals but don’t get locals and you want me to be inconvenienced by installing an antennae?  That’s why I’m leaving Direct TV they just don’t care.  

@lasvegasguy12 

 I pay for locals but don’t get locals

You do get locals. There is no guarantee of any specific local (or any channel) always being there. All TV providers have a clause that channels/programming can change since they don't own them.

That is not why you're leaving. DirecTV does care to the point that if they cave to Nexstar that raises bills which just upsets customers further. Where does it end?

How about they get the channel back immediately and you personally pay the increased cost for everyone else who would rather wait it out to minimize added cost (preferably avoid but networks usually get some increase)? Networks increase our bills enough, we don't need to help them further by giving in.

@lasvegasguy12 From what I understand Dish Network is also in a dispute with Nexstar over their local channels and as of the last time I heard anything which was last week they still have yet to come to an agreement.  So you may want to reconsider switching to Dish.  Directv right now is offering a $10 discount off your bill to help compensate you for the loss of your local(s) during this time.  You can get this discount at: https://www.directv.com/tvpromise/  Directv cannot cave every time a provider wants to increase.  That would only increase our bills even more than they already do.  I for one think our bill is way too expensive as it is and do not want my bill to increase any more than it needs to.  

I've got to side with DirecTV on this issue.   Nexstar did this before in 2018 and it is getting old, for sure.    I got around this by installing a Yagi antenna on the side of my house and purchasing the Tablo system to be able to stream all of my local channels to any device I own within my home or on the road.   

          It really doesn't make sense for a company that owns some of our local affiliates to keep trying to price-gouge distributors for simply re-distrubuting local content that anybody could get for free with an antenna setup.    This type of nonsense adds more dollars to our monthly bill if DirecTV simply caved in and wrote these guys a check for what they want. 

       This type of scenario is obviously going to replay itself again and again and again until we can all agree to take the matter into our own hands and find a 100% reliable source for our local channels.   Nexstar sure has taught us all this lesson.  

There are still areas that can't get the OTA broadcasts of their locals.

If Fox 8 does not return before football season, I will get rid of direct tv.

If direct tv doesn't get fox 8 back before football season.  Im done with them.

I'm looking for alternatives now. Maybe if DirecTV hadn't sued Nexstar, they wouldn't be trying to get their money back now. I think this is more an outcome of poor leadership at DirecTv...

Switching providers won't help. At least not for long. Nexstar goes through this will all providers. 

I've heard at my job DirecTV is giving us credits for the cost to set up our TVs with antennas for NBC 8 here in Tampa   I'm sure for us home users they may do the same thing for antennas or for the cost of Peacock Premium so all of us have access to channel 8 without having a higher DTV bill.  It really stinks with this storm bearing down on us today to have a major media outlet unavailable on any provider.   Imagine if Nexstsr owned all of our local affiliates in this situation.  

AFAIK DTV is giving a $10 credit on the bill if you log into your account to get it.  That could be used to offset the cost of an OTA antenna.  Highly doubt DTV would buy and setup one.