Wabash Mutual Telephone Company's hub for information on our negotiations with the networks on your lineup. We are committed to providing quality TV programming at a competitive price and we fight hard against excessive fee increases from the networks.
We're on your side.
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419-942-1111Over the years, we've negotiated hundreds of programming agreements behind the scenes, privately with no disruptions of service. But to the network and TV station owners, these disputes are not about respecting viewers with no interruptions, it's all about the money. To get higher fees, networks don't hesitate to pull the plug on viewers.
TV Stations use blackouts to pressure providers to accept their demands for higher fees to increase their revenue.
Networks black out their signals to try to get you to switch providers to pressure us to agree to their demands, and they do this to every TV provider; in 2010, there were 8 blackouts and that number has already hit 40 in January of 2025 alone.* Even on those rare occasions when Networks pull their signal, we’re on your side to get them back quickly at a fair price, so the networks are usually dark for only a short period of time.
Here are some examples of recent disputes:
*Source: 2025 ATVA
The television landscape is changing faster than ever, and it's all about power. Media giants, who already control over 90% of available networks and TV stations, are scaling up their businesses through acquisitions and mergers. They use their size and power to demand more money, with little regard to how it impacts your wallet.
A few media giants own most of the networks and use their size to demand higher fees and network carriage.
Just like cable networks, broadcast TV stations want their cut of your monthly bill. They do this by charging retransmission fees. These fees are made possible by a 1992 federal law that requires cable operators and other providers to obtain permission to carry their stations. Broadcasters set the rate for these fees and the only control we have is to work hard to negotiate the best deal that we can on your behalf.
A gallon of milk cost approximately $3.25 in 2010. Today it costs around $3.96, an average annual increase of 1.4% from 2010 to 2024. During that same period, local TV station fees increased EVERY year by an average of 23.5%.*
If a gallon of milk increased at that same rate, it would cost over $62.00 today.
*AmericanTelevisionAlliance © 2024, US Inflation Calculator
TV rights for sports is the highest it's ever been because broadcast and cable networks continue to escalate what they pay for sports TV rights. Both cable and broadcast networks pay billions of dollars a year to bring you live games. This forces them to charge TV providers higher fees, which has a significant impact on your monthly bill.
In the beginning, streaming services promised a cheap, innovative alternative to your local television provider. That promise did not last long. Streamers ran into the same price gouging by programmers that we have faced for years. Now those services are beginning to look a lot more like the traditional cable services they promised to replace…with prices to match.
When blackouts happen, it’s because we wouldn’t agree to the Network’s demands. The Networks know they can pass costs onto cable companies like us and ultimately to you. If we can’t agree, THEY may choose to take the channel off of your lineup.
It’s a law that requires all TV providers to obtain permission to carry local stations for a fee. If an agreement can’t be reached, the local stations can pull their signal from you.
Every local station is available free over-the-air. Smart TVs can tune directly to these signals when paired with an inexpensive antenna. Most stations also stream their local newscasts on their sites. And if they are affiliated with a major Network such as ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC, most series are available free online, often with little delay. We will provide you with other ways to watch your favorite shows if there’s a blackout. And most shows will be available to catch up on demand once the Network has been returned to your lineup.
We’d like you to stay because most blackouts don't last long. In 2024 alone, there were 94 stations that pulled their signal from customers, and there have been 40 so far in 2025, so even if you switch you’ll likely still face blackouts. (Source: ATVA.com)