MeTV Summer 2019

[ClassicTube]

There's much discussion and confusion in the "MeTV QTR2 2019 Schedule" thread, and I thought I would just go ahead and start a new thread for Summer 2019; adding a little information on how many things will be changing across the entire space of diginets, OTT TV, etc.

The Dick Van Dyke Show announcement has confused a lot of people questioning whether other changes are coming to the schedule. Yes! The QTR3 summer schedule is approximately 3 weeks away. No announcements are ready though, so stay tuned.

Just a few thoughts about changing schedules on the diginets, including MeTV. Sorry if this is lengthy, but everything is being turned upside down.

There are massive changes taking place in licensing of the classic shows. Once an afterthought, these shows have proven their worth as winners with varying experiments with OTT providers, as well as carriers of the diginets, and are now treated very seriously as viable 24/7 products.

Brace yourself for major changes across the spectrum of diginets and OTT providers (Sling, PSVue, Philo, etc.). The biggest changes are coming due to the Time Warner merger with AT&T (read: AT&T takeover of all TimeWarner assets and all things owned by). Honestly, approval was, in my opinion, a travesty - but that's for another day. The many, many shows now under AT&T-run WarnerMedia are being used to harm any and all AT&T competitors, doing exactly what they promised not to do. From killing off Filmstruck, to weaponizing their HBO ownership in blatant disregard of the merger approval conditions, to slowly killing off DirectTV NOW in favor of the little known WatchTV (both owned by AT&T). How this all ties together is too long to get into here. But the above is driving many changes.

You will see, especially for the next year or so, changes from the traditional scheduling by quarter, to scheduling based on when some shows are available due to contracts ending and how long they can shelf before air date. Almost all of this is thanks, again, to AT&T and the all-new WarnerMedia. So this post isn't just wayyyy too long, I will just point you to do some simple research on what television product Time Warner (WM) owns. Not just the many subsidiaries, I am talking about content they own from all of their subsidiary assets. Put that together with the new ownership being a major provider themselves of delivery and AT&T is now in a position to play serious hardball - and they are. Just another example: keeping Turner content away from competitors of DirectTVNow and WatchTV, or licensing it at such ridiculous cost that it ups the costs for these other OTT streaming companies, which, of course, means rate hikes for consumers.

Long story short - MeTV summer 2019 schedule coming along in about 3 weeks. Major changes coming to licensing classic content across the board. The AT&T takeover of Time Warner will have major repercussions on most everything regarding licensing, diginets and OTT providers. One big bottom-line takeaway: have patience with MeTV, Antenna TV, Retro, Cozi, etc. They all are having to deal with WarnerMediaAT&T which is almost like David and Goliath with these networks. But, big guns are firing back, too. Long story I have provided, but hope it helps as you question going forward whether there is method to the madness.

[icecream]

Is there a site we can see what shows are under contract to what networks and for how long? A lot of the diginets like Me TV and Cozi I never have had an affiliate for, but I do have Antenna TV and it would be nice to know the length of time their shows are under contract for, and if a show will be leaving because a competing network got the rights in a certain month. Or on the flip side if a show treated poorly by their network like The Dick Van Dyke Show on Cozi or Happy Days, Mary Tyler Moore, etc. on Me TV would be expiring from their current network and coming to Antenna at some point.

[stevea]

Um...don't tell me Comcast doesn't play hardball too.

The first post doesn't have much to do with its subject, IMO.

[MA]

Originally Posted by stevea

Um...don't tell me Comcast doesn't play hardball too.

The first post doesn't have much to do with its subject, IMO.

I wonder if they will be affected by this.

[stevea]

Warners has the syndication rights to sitcoms like Alice and Mama's Family. When it comes to the two largest diginets, MeTV and Antenna TV, they don't have a lot of clout, IMO.

However, they do control a lot of old westerns and cop shows.

I don't dispute the OP's opinion that a lot of change is coming...but, when isn't it?

[MA]

So Comcast won't be affected at all by this then?

[stevea]

Since Comcast owns NBC I think they would be. But the Disney/Fox thing will shake things up, also. More for current programs rather than the diginets, though.

I just think the original post had nothing to do with MeTV possible schedule changes.

[MA]

Originally Posted by stevea

Since Comcast owns NBC I think they would be. But the Disney/Fox thing will shake things up, also. More for current programs rather than the diginets, though.

I just think the original post had nothing to do with MeTV possible schedule changes.

That's a shame that Comcast would be affected then, but you are right about the post.

[Merry24]

I’m sorry to all posters I don’t understand. Is it being said that longtime shows on these channels contract is running out? Like Andy & Brady Bunch might Leave Me TV? Bewitched & Johnny Carson might Leave Antenna TV and switch digital channels? I’m sorry I’m just confused on all this.

[MA]

Originally Posted by Merry24

I’m sorry to all posters I don’t understand. Is it being said that longtime shows on these channels contract is running out? Like Andy & Brady Bunch might Leave Me TV? Bewitched & Johnny Carson might Leave Antenna TV and switch digital channels? I’m sorry I’m just confused on all this.

I'm confused as well.

[eng51squad51]

Networks does not release contract Lengths it is said through Grapevine that this is Last Year of Adam-12 Contract on CozITV witch maybe coming back to METV Next Year

[icecream]

It is really too bad Antenna TV won't air dramas any more, I would like to see Dragnet and Adam-12 come back.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Merry24

I’m sorry to all posters I don’t understand. Is it being said that longtime shows on these channels contract is running out? Like Andy & Brady Bunch might Leave Me TV? Bewitched & Johnny Carson might Leave Antenna TV and switch digital channels? I’m sorry I’m just confused on all this.

I think the original poster is just upset about the AT&T merger with Time Warner. If anything major was definitely happening re loss of contracts, they needed to cite a source.

IMO these contracts are probably too lucrative to be cancelled.

[ClassicTube]

Whoa. I wasn't expecting the negativity. I'm not a regular poster, but I read here a lot. I think my OP is very much on topic. I suppose I should have put the extra information in another thread. If I had only put how I began the thread, would people still think it wasn't on-topic? I wrote:
-------------------------
There's much discussion and confusion in the "MeTV QTR2 2019 Schedule" thread, and I thought I would just go ahead and start a new thread for Summer 2019; adding a little information on how many things will be changing across the entire space of diginets, OTT TV, etc.

The Dick Van Dyke Show announcement has confused a lot of people questioning whether other changes are coming to the schedule. Yes! The QTR3 summer schedule is approximately 3 weeks away. No announcements are ready though, so stay tuned.
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People were speculating that the changes were too minor with TDVDS, etc.
I answered the question there's more to come and I gave you the timeline.

I apologize if I added too much inside baseball - and no, my thoughts weren't just based on my dislike of the AT&T-Time Warner merger.

Thanks for letting me respond.

[Tubehead]

i hadn't watched me tv in year!! I wish they would get ride of the westerns!1 i would show more comedies , sic fi Fantasy shows & more police shows!! no offence but we got 2 or 3 channels that shows westerns!! that don;t include tv land!!