WGN Direct TV

Oh and don't forget that Nexstar is forcing Sinclair to remove stations as well. And remember they can choose to do this with any TV provider.

Because of the higher rates and their going full tilt pulling Sinclair into, is why I lay the blame solely on Nexstar for this situation. Anyone within range, just plug in a regular OTA antenna to get the free broadcast (plus any sub-channels in the area). How long are we going to keep giving in to the local channel's increased cost every time for something we have a free option for? I certainly did not go to pay TV for my locals but for what my locals could not provide.

You are the one who said, and I quote, "Creating a forum account just to announce your possible leaving to strangers seems like a lot of steps that isn't productive. No need to announce departure, this isn't an airport."

The forum is titled "WGN Direct TV" so if you don't like the comments that are being made then don't visit the forum. Everyone has a right to comment on how they feel about this issue  but they should not have to put up with a stream of negative comments from you. Find another forum to lambaste. 

@mrosem1958 

Yes everybody has the right to post, including myself so I will still be here. Calling DirecTV and having it notated on your account that you are considering canceling over this I find would be more productive. Certainly you are free to vent, I am simply suggesting something that would be direct communication to DirecTV on a verified customer.

I also point out that no TV provider is obligated to provide you any particular local (or any other specific channel) guaranteed. Something to keep in mind for anyone thinking of switching, as doing so does not protect you against this happening. Further, Nexstar's demand for higher rates has escalated to them coercing Sinclair to pull channels.

Anyone demanding that DirecTV "resolve" the situation and get the channels back now is just advocating for everyone's bills to go up further. And not just the viewing area (be it Chicago or somewhere else). DirecTV doesn't itemize locals to be charged per area (like RSNs do), so flatten the cost in the package over all customers. So Nexstar (and Sinclair) getting their way for higher rates adds into the next price adjustment even if one doesn't get those exact channels. And all this for channels free over the normal airways (OTA antenna).

So personally, I want DirecTV to hold their ground. Nexstar can either stop with the increased rates or they can beet feet. I will happily use antenna or just watch something else as I am not dependent on any given channel. It is just TV after all, I can find something else to watch.

I would suggest you try calling DIRECTV about this. I can tell what will happen if you do. You will be speaking with a person in another country who can't help you with this issue and can't tell who can. They can help you pay your bill, and they can help you upgrade your subscription but with regards to WGN, they will read you the script that you hear when you go to WGN verbatim.  If you try to ask a question or engage them in conversation they cut you off and say they have no further information. So your suggestion that we call DIRECTV  fails because we've tried and DIRECTV has made certain that we will get nowhere with verbal communication. 

Regardless if the agent is in-country or not (no guarantee either way), they can note on your account. That way when any reports are run for them they can get the metrics for who is canceling over this and who is considering, of actual customers. This being a community public forum wasn't intended as direct communication to the company in general.

Not saying that any agent can change the situation, as they cannot as not at the negotiating table. But it would officially give your feedback as an actual customer. Though I do still suggest people directly contact Nexstar to give feedback as well.

You say you would get nowhere. Well with the Nexstar situation, what more do you expect? The agent has no idea when the channel will be back as they don't see the future and has no influence on the negotiations themselves. They can note your account which is expected it could be pulled on a report run, how exactly that metric influences business decisions I do not know.

As for cutting you off if you try to ask questions, that is a bad agent. If it is about Nexstar channels (not just WGN) not much for them to say there. As for not letting you engage in conversation, that is interesting. Many customer service places expects their agents to 'converse' as can make transactions go easier or sales are more successful. Personally I would want that kept to a minimum as I understand and accept the one on the other end of the phone is not my 'friend'. We can kept it friendly sure, but in the end they are an employee and I am a customer. Plus a big metric for them would be their average call/handle time, so longer on calls doesn't look good for them.

Taking one side or the other in a corporate dispute is silly since details are sketchy at best, but one thing I do know is that DIRECTV did NOT reduce my bill when they decided to reduce my service.  It’s easy to side with your service provider when you are not directly effected but I’ve been using this company since 1991 and this happens too frequently with little or no benefit to the end users. 

@Fizzixguy 

You pay for access to locals in general. Whether you get 1, 5, or 20, your price doesn't change. With multiple networks that increase costs, 1 being off (hopefully temporarily) does not make up that difference. Plus with the expectation it comes back eventually, those funds may be pre-committed to paying Nexstar upon return.

Though there is no obligation to lower the bill (and don't forget the annual price adjustment to account for increased costs), DirecTV has been offering a one-time credit as a courtesy. Naturally it wasn't proactive as would be foolish to give to everybody as opposed to who actually cares about those channels. Log into your account or call DirecTV to take advantage for as long as it is offered.

Your time is a bit off as you cannot have been using DirecTV since 1991. They didn't exist until 1994.

Yes it feels it happens too frequently, but keep in mind it is not the same network owner each time. Their carriage agreements all end at different times. Unfortunately it has become more common, especially for local network owners, to pull the feed when they want to hardball for more money.

If DirecTV's operating costs go up, then our bills will also go up that much more. So I would rather they continue negotiating to minimize any cost increase. Would love it if there were none (or even a reduction), but realistically that's not going to happen. And why should DirecTV and us customers continue paying more for our locals that are free over the regular airways? I'll use a regular antenna as a backup and tell owners like Nexstar that I choose not to be used as their leverage.

Actually my timeline is quite accurate since DIRECTV was previously DBS and I have had their service since 91.  I hope you are right, but I am not convinced that these service interruptions are always examples of DIRECTV acting on behalf of subscribers, but maybe that is just my cynicism clouding my judgement. 

Why would any company raise their prices more then necessary?

DirecTV wasn't previously DBS, they acquired DBS services such as picking up Primestar in 1998. So you started with another company which later was bought by DirecTV.

I am not stating the DirecTV is acting on the behalf of customers. It comes down to the bottom line. Nexstar wants to increase what DirecTV has to pay. They cannot sustain increases otherwise they get priced out of business, hence why our bills go up eventually to help offset the cost. And when our bills go up, customers naturally complain just like when the channel owner pulls the feed. There is no winning in these situations.

My stance comes down to the local channels have a free over-the-air (OTA) broadcast. I went to pay TV for what my locals couldn't provide, like many others who got pay TV. So paying more for what I can otherwise get free (well one-time cost of a antenna but no monthly service fee) is something I do not agree with. And I can live without locals. In the end, TV is entertainment. I can find something else to watch.