Sometimes there are happy endings. The test pattern which has been airing on RSN/Channel 14 since mid-July in Suddenlink’s Truckee-Donner Summit-West Shore viewing area may finally be replaced with the wacky banter of morning host Todd Offenbacher and RSN Movie Nights. But Moonshine was wondering what was up with RSN being off the air?
The troubles began over two years ago, according to RSN General Manager Peter Loughlin. That’s when Suddenlink transferred RSN’s signal, traveling from South Lake Tahoe, to an internet-based delivery system at Suddenlink’s ‘head end.’’ RSN viewers began experiencing frequent outages, lasting anywhere from minutes to hours per day. RSN requested equipment upgrades from Suddenlink, which they believed would help with signal delivery, to no avail. Loughlin said they were so unhappy that they decided to stop paying their bills nearly a year and a half before they finally were taken off the air by Suddenlink on July 15.
Jason Oelkers, Marketing Director at Suddenlink’s Truckee office, explained that RSN’s contract expired in April. ‘We wanted to keep them on the air in good faith, but finally had to remove them.’
‘It’s been difficult,’ said Loughlin from his South Lake Tahoe office at RSN’s headquarters. ‘I don’t see them (Suddenlink) understanding the value of local programming on their system. We’re the only local station that provides live updates for our customers.’
Oelkers responded directly to this charge. ‘Our goal is to give our viewers what they want…there is no reason why we wouldn’t want them on our network. We just want a signed agreement.’
But Loughlin and Oelkers did agree on one thing. Efforts to renegotiate a contract had been futile up until August 27, when RSN and Suddenlink’s corporate heads in Houston held a teleconference.
Oelkers was eager to discuss the outcome. ‘The long and short is we’ve come to a new agreement. Everything is good and moving forward and RSN should be back on the air.’ According to Oelkers, RSN has agreed to handle getting their signal to the Truckee ‘head end’ however it works best for them. According to Loughlin, both sides were shooting for the beginning of September to get RSN back on the air, as Moonshine prepares to go to print, however, the test pattern is still up.
Loughlin credits ‘continued attempts to correspond with Suddenlink’s corporate offices and viewer feedback’ as the cause of the breakthrough in negotiations, but he also cautioned, ‘I think the reputation of both RSN and Suddenlink will need to repair its standing in the community after an extended absence. Hopefully RSN and Suddenlink can work more closely together to provide quality relevant programming to the residents of Truckee.’
Oelkers felt very positive about the outcome. ‘I’m very excited to get RSN back on the air.’
From RSN.com
RSN is a national television network that specializes in creating and distributing outdoor content to America’s premier resorts, including more than 125 mountain and beach destinations. RSN Tahoe is headquartered in South Lake with a satellite office at Squaw Valley and airs on Channels 5 and 12 in the Charter Media viewing area and on Channel 14 through Suddenlink. Popular local shows include Tahoe Today, Tahoe Outdoors and Tahoe Tonight, which not only provide local updates on news and culture, but current resort information and happenings throughout the region.
From SuddenLink.com
Suddenlink Communications™ is a top-10 U.S. cable broadband provider, supporting the information, communication and entertainment demands of approximately 1.3 million customers. Locally, Suddenlink serves over 9,000 customers within their Truckee Tahoe viewing area, which includes Donner Summit, Truckee and the west shore of Lake Tahoe and offers cable, internet and phone service.
