EPB and the FOX network have reached a deal that ensures EPB subscribers will still get their FOX News and Sports channels.
"We will continue to offer the FOX channels just as we planned," said EPB Vice President of Marketing J.Ed. Marston. "As has been the case over the last few years, (FOX) asked for and got a substantial rate increase and, at some point, we will have to pass that along."
In a full-page newspaper advertisement in the Times Free Press last week, FOX warned that its news and sports channels were at risk of going dark for EPB customers on Jan. 1, 2020. About 48,000 customers receive those channels, and EPB was negotiating rates for that content as part of the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC).
"We are asking for terms that are in-line with what other cooperatives and our other distribution partners pay," FOX spokeswoman Megan Klein said last week."We are disappointed that the NCTC appears to be putting its own business objectives ahead of the needs of its members and their respective customers."
Ultimately, EPB wants to offer the channels its customers expect, and has to pay for the content, Marston said. But as the cost of the content increases, cable providers have to pass increases to customers.
"This unfortunately has gotten to be a negotiating dynamic people are seeing all over the country," Marston said. "Content providers are raising rates and distributors are trying to keep rates as reasonable as possible for our customers."
EPB raised its rates in November by an average of more than 5% to pay for increased costs from its television content providers.But Marston said when it comes to services EPB provides directly, the public utility has never raised rates.
"On our internet and telephone services, we've never had a rate increase," he said. "In fact, on the internet service we've adjusted prices down in some cases."
Contact Mary Fortune at mfortune@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow her on Twitter at @maryfortune.