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Donald Trump Takes a Side in CBS-Time Warner Cable Dispute

Aug 14, 2013  •  Post A Comment

Donald Trump is wading into the contract dispute between CBS and Time Warner Cable, and he’s directing his anger at the cable operator for blocking access to golf programming, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Trump took to Twitter to complain about the CBS blackout, saying he was unable to watch the PGA Championship on New York’s WCBS-TV.

"Time Warner, I am going to be switching many of my buildings to another service — this is ridiculous!" Trump tweeted Monday. He also complained that the cable company isn’t giving "major discounts" to customers because of the blackout.

Time Warner Cable addressed his complaint in a statement, writing, "We’re sorry Mr Trump is upset but we would hope that, as a businessman, he understands why we’re focused on keeping our costs down so we can keep our customers’ bills reasonable."

8 Comments

  1. “we’re focused on keeping our costs down so we can keep our customers’ bills reasonable.”
    BALONEY.
    They’re focused on keeping their costs down to increase their profits. They don’t care about the consumer, unless he doesn’t pay his cable bill.

  2. You and Mr. Donald Trump need to get your facts straight and get a reality check! I work for one of those cable TV companies and broadcast stations now want double the amount they wanted last year per subscriber, period, regardless of whether it is watched by subscribers. The rates charged in our little rural are about $2 per sub per month. for all subs because we are forced by the FCC to count all subs. In our case, that works out to be about $40,000 every month to a little ole nothing TV station that is free to anyone with just an antenna. And we have to eat the costs of delivering these signals to the far reaches of our system where the antenna signal is bearable viewable, therefore ultimately enhancing the signal received by those customers.
    The real scoundrels are the combination of the networks who put pressure on the local broadcast stations to do this, and the local broadcast stations for not standing up to them.
    CATV customers complain that their service is expensive, and it is because I pay it myself. Our company is small and employees don’t get free cable. But I see our margins and our profit barely covers the cost to print the bills each month.
    Start blaming the real culprits in the CATV cost hikes, not the operators. And your senators and congressmen should get into the act and clamp a lid on this Holywood type corporate pressure.

  3. Newsflash, Mr. Trump — the signal is available FREE over the air!

  4. Maybe out there in the hinterlands where you live, but here in TWC territory, there is plenty of blame (and corporate greed) to go around.
    To hell with CBS. I’ll watch OTA with my HD antenna. Works just fine. It’s a bit inconvenient, since I can’t watch on the big set and no DVR, but OK.
    CBS has barred anyone with TWC broadband from accessing their website. How is THAT fair? Who is being served by that?
    But TWC has paid bazillions o’ bux to carry the LA Dodgers and the LA Lakers, two teams that I have absolutely zero interest in watching, and yet I know that they are planning to hike my cable bill and those of all their subscribers at least $4-$9 a month for the privilege of not watching.
    Just remember, hogs get slaughtered.
    This is like watching Hitler and Pol Pot go at each other and hoping they both lose, but knowing that we, the consumers, are going to be the real losers.

  5. Scott:
    Oh no! A company is making a profit? Isn’t that kind of why companies are in business in the first place?
    This is something you and Mr. Obama need to learn. We don’t live in a communist country (yet!), and consumers can either choose to pay the going rate or not.

  6. Awwww. . Widdo Trumpy Wumpy can’t watch him’s golf? I bet him’s gonna throw a little tantrum in his footie pajamas! Him’s gonna stomp his widdo feets.

  7. Yeah right, TWC wants to keep the costs down. Almost every January like clockwork TWC raises its rates with no regards to my costs. The January following the Fox-TWC dispute, TWC RAISED ITS RATES. So much for their claim in that dispute they want to keep costs down.
    Some good news though, three people have filed a class action suit against TWC. TWC has lied about giving a credit to Showtime subscribers. Unfortunately, our household is stuck with TWC as my apartment faces the wrong direction for satellite TV.
    I will have to ask the owner if I can put a dish on the roof. I hear they can’t be attached and now the satellite companies are securing them with bricks. If true then I will switch to Dishnet for my TV. I really don’t watch much TV but my 83 year old dad likes to watch the Dodgers.

  8. Well said.

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