An open letter to our customers regarding FOX networks
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In the 85 years we have offered cable television service Mason County, we have seen extraordinary changes in our business. We began in 1934 and today, through a continuing investment in technology, hard work and our dedicated work force, Hood Canal Communications delivers advanced broadband services including cable channels and internet service to our community.
As your local TV provider, we are part of your community. We hear from customers all the time ”“ whether we’re pumping gas, at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, or even at a school event. We are your neighbors and Mason County is our home. Our goal is simple: we are committed to providing quality services that exceed your expectations in voice, video, data and customer service.
You may have heard that we are currently in negotiations with FOX ”“ owner of FOX News Channel, FOX Business, FS1 and more. TV providers, such as HCC, negotiate agreements with cable and broadcast networks for a fee per channel per month per customer for their programming.
The fees that we pay for these networks account for the bulk of our customers’ monthly cable bills. In the past, these fees were set in private business negotiations and customers rarely knew those negotiations were taking place. But in recent years, those negotiations have become more public as multi-billion-dollar media companies like FOX have tried to leverage the popularity of their programming to demand unreasonably high fees ”“ whether our customers want them or not.
Our goal is to protect our customers from significant programming fee increases and offer you a wide variety of programming choices. This has become increasingly difficult when media companies like FOX make unreasonable demands for us to continue to offer their stations and networks. We believe it’s our responsibility to take a stand and fight on your behalf for fair and reasonable agreements.
HCC is in active talks with FOX over the amount they want to charge us for their broadcast stations and cable networks. They are demanding a significant increase in fees for the same exact stations and networks you already receive. As your local TV provider, we are on your side in the fight against unreasonable prices.
We want you to know that you are not at risk of losing FOX cable networks prior to December 31, 2019 when the contract expires. However, after the deadline, Fox may force us to remove their programming taking it away from our customers. We’re working to resolve these differences and believe that it’s important to explain to our customers the story behind these changes. We welcome our customer to join the conversation and to learn more at TVOnMySide.com.
Thank you for being a loyal HCC customer.