To the editor:
I live in Aroostook County and Spectrum is my cable supplier. Recently changes have been made to the stations that we receive.
Up until the changes, our channel 2 (WLBZ) was an NBC station; channel 4 (WAGM) was a CBS station. We watched both channels for state and local news and weather. Channel 2 gave us more state news from central Maine and southern Maine that Channel 4 didn’t, and Channel 4 gave us Aroostook County and Canadian news.
Since the change we no longer receive WLBZ on Channel 2. Channel 2 now carries WWPI-HD, which is the same news as Channel 4 (WAGM) with their reporters and weatherman. Does this not fall into the non-duplication clause? We are remote enough that depriving us of news from and about southern and central Maine is just another hardship we have to bear. The change also eliminated our news at noon from Channel 2 (WLBZ).
Are we being discriminated against for living in northern Maine? Is WAGM’s parent company afraid of other news stations? Why have they not targeted Channel 6 (CBAT), the Canadian news channel? Is the parent company monopolizing the news that we receive? If not the parent company, then who? Why would the FCC grant another license to the parent company of WAGM for transmission in the same area?
We were not told of the changes by Spectrum, nor do I have a corporate address to make an inquiry. I called the toll-free number for Spectrum and they were unable to explain this to me.
David W. DeMerchant
Caribou
