Cincinnati Campaign Information

Thanks to the OKI Roswellians for sending this in! :) Please do your part, everyone! And spread the word! We encourage everyone else without UPN to take this sort of initiative in your hometowns if you’re not already doing so, and to please let us know your progress or if you need help in getting started. There have already been some successes around the country! Also, please stay tuned for new campaign information as we gear up for the third season premiere. We’re really going to need help from Roswellians everywhere! Thanks!

Tell Cincinnati Time-Warner Cable to “Spice Up” Their Lineup

Attention all Roswellians!

It’s CAMPAIGN TIME again. Time to break out the pens and paper. “What’s the
target this time?” you ask. Why it’s Time-Warner Cable in Cincinnati.

THE PROBLEM

Cincinnati has a UPN affiliate, WBQC Channel 25, but Time-Warner Cable
doesn’t carry them. The reason why is because they’re a “Class A” station.
Unlike low power stations, “Class A” stations operate under the same rules
as full service stations. Unfortunately, Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) regulations don’t require cable companies to carry “Class A” stations.
Consequently, viewers in the suburbs are left without access to their
favorite shows, like “Roswell” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Time-Warner is the largest cable television outlet in the region, as well as
the exclusive provider in much of the Greater Cincinnati area. Because they
are not obligated by FCC regulations to carry the signal for UPN 25, they
want to charge owner and general manager Elliott Block $1.4 million to lease
a channel, which is what they charge the shopping networks to hawk their
wares.

Furthermore, rather than carrying the local affiliate, Time-Warner is
entertaining the notion of paying millions for piping in an out-of-town
UPN-affiliated superstation, and passing the charges on to their customers.
Whereas, Mr. Block says he is willing to provide the WBQC UPN25 signal to
Time-Warner free of charge.

WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT

There are two parts to this plan:

The primary strategy is to send letters and postcards to the general manager
of Cincinnati Time-Warner Cable, Virgil Reed. We’ve decided to use “snail”
mail because emails are too easily dismissed. Only about 20% of the viewing
public is “on line.” Therefore, no matter how many emails they get, they
divide the numbers by five. The cable industry considers letters and
postcards to be far more representative of actual viewers.

Those letters and cards can go to:

Mr. Virgil Reed, General Manger
Cincinnati Time-Warner Cable
11252 Cornell Park Dr.
Blue Ash, OH 45242

Now for the second part:

Since Time-Warner Cable isn’t likely to do anything they are not legally
obligated to do, unless of course they can make money off of it, we are
encouraging fans to write letters to their representatives in Congress in
order to get the FCC regulations changed. We want the FCC to make “Class A”
broadcasters with network affiliation and sizeable audiences “must carry”
stations for cable television providers. You can find out how to reach your
Congressional representative at www.house.gov/writerep.

It doesn’t matter where you live in the USA; please let your representatives
know that the cable companies need to play fair, and that means that they
should carry “Class A” broadcasters – like WBQC UPN25. Cable customers
shouldn’t have to pay extra for out-of-town superstations when a local
broadcaster provides the same programming for free.

Remember, this isn’t just about “Roswell” this time. This is about fair
play. Cincinnati isn’t the only place where Time-Warner Cable won’t carry
the local UPN affiliate. We know what we’ve accomplished thus far, and if we
are successful in Cincinnati, we can employ the same methods to be
successful elsewhere.

You can find out more at www.okiroswellians.com or www.wbqc.com.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!