30/01/2023
NEWEST DEETS:
IN THE KNOW:
January 30, 2023
Dear Oak Run Family -
This is a very important message regarding NBC (WESH 2/Channel 2 on our system) and DECCA Digital Solutions retransmission of this Broadcaster. As you may have read in the message, I posted on our page () earlier this month, I shared that we were currently in the last phases of negotiation with NBC’s affiliate (NBC/WESH 2 Orlando) regarding Retransmission Consent.
THE SITUATION:
I have shared with you over the past 4 years, via messages, emails and videos, about the Broadcaster issue and Oak Run’s incapacity to continue providing these Broadcasters to you on the Basic Cable line-up at DDS. (In the interest of time and brevity, I have attached the best summation of this unique issue to this email - so please read page 2 for the summary). After working hard together to try and find a pathway forward, we were unable to come to a meeting of the minds with NBC. After one last try yesterday, I heard from the decision makers at NBC late morning today that they would be unable to continue allowing us to retransmit their signal as of midnight tonight (our current agreement expires at that time). We totally understood and were prepared for that answer. Our awesome staff at DECCA Digital Solutions prepared a plan and a promotion and I want to share it with you.
THE PLAN:
As of first thing tomorrow morning - we will be changing our Basic Cable line-up to reflect these new changes.
CHANNEL 2: WESH 2 will be replaced with NEWSMAX. (Real America’s Voice will slide into the Channel 909 spot.)
CHANNEL 8: CW (Orlando) will be replaced with CW (Gainesville), provided by our ABC Gainesville affiliate
CHANNEL 13: TRUE CRIME will be replaced with JUSTICE
CHANNEL 910: MeTV (Orlando) will be replaced with MeTV (Gainesville), also provided by our ABC Gainesville affiliate
CHANNEL 922: ESTRELLA will be removed - but stay tuned for a replacement channel offering Spanish language programming!
THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION otherwise known as the
“I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED!” PROMO:
While we understand that many like to use the traditional way of watching programming via good old fashioned cable television…. Streaming is the truly the answer to the future. If you are intent upon watching WESH 2 Local News - you can still stream it! If you choose to stream it, and have Hi-speed service, simply go to your browser, and put in WESH 2 ORLANDO. Your browser will find the WESH 2 website, and if you go the red bar at the top of the screen, you will see a button with NOWCAST, or WATCH LIVE up there. Simply click on it during the usual times of newscasts and you can watch your local news easily! Now, with that said, you may need faster internet speeds to watch this and any other and all content you choose.
So, in order to help you stream your video - we have prepared an absolutely AWESOME PROMOTION for you, and we are calling it “I feel the need for speed!”. If you are one of our current HI-speed Internet Subscribers OR if you have never tried our Hi-speed Internet Service - we are offering something unique and special.
From January 31st to Feb 28th, we are offering a FREE UPGRADE IN SPEEDS, at the current pricing. What that means is that you can get:
25 MBPS of speed, for the current 10 MBPS PRICE, $ 49.99- per mo.
50 MBPS of speed, for the current 25 MBPS PRICE, $ 65.- per mo.
75 MBPS of speed, for the current 50 MBPS PRICE, $ 69.- per mo.
100 MBPS of speed for the current 75 MBPS PRICE, $ 79.- per mo.
And 125 MBPS of speed for the current 100 MBPS PRICE, $ 89.00 per mo.
The window for registration to upgrade or join us and use “I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED!” PROMO is open only from 1/31/23 through 2/28/23. Simply email our Solutions guides at [email protected] and let them know that you want the “I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED! PROMO” and they will email you the super easy paperwork right away, with directions on how to get
you all set up! It’s just that EASY.
**The PROMOTION WILL GO FROM THE DATE OF REGISTRATION, THROUGH THE NEXT THREE MONTHS AND EXPIRES ON MAY 31, 2023. If at the end of the program you are still interested in keeping your NEW speed, there will be another awesome promotional price that we will offer you to stay at your new speeds! So, stay tuned, if you choose this promo, for more on that as we get closer to the end of the promotion.**
A FINAL WORD:
So, there you go, Oak Run family! I gave you the bad news, and then the really good news, and I think that’s all I’ve got for now. I want to thank those of you who have shared your support with me and our entire team! We appreciate you all so very much. For those who will not be overjoyed by this news - please read the attachment and learn all about the history of this thorny issue, and why we are at this juncture. Hopefully, it will be illuminating and clarifying for you. If you have any questions about all this - please email us at DECCA Digital Solutions [email protected] and we will answer any questions that we can help you with.
Thank you so much for your attention and time today, and we look forward to continuing to serve you!
Sincerely,
Priya Ghumman
CEO, Oak Run Associates, Ltd.
THE SUMMARY from Priya Ghumman
Regarding NBC (WESH TV Orlando Affiliate) Retransmission Consent Negotiations: 1/30/23
THE SCOOP:
As I have shared on our page earlier this month, after continuing to try and negotiate a new Retransmission Consent contract with NBC ‘s affiliate WESH TV Orlando, over the past weeks, we have come to a conclusion with NBC late this morning. Even though both NBC and Oak Run (DECCA Digital Solutions) wanted to continue working together, we were unable to find a pathway forward and NBC has officially revoked their consent for us to retransmit their signal as of midnight tonight, 1/30/23.
THE HISTORY:
Some of our homeowners think that all four of the Broadcast channels are part and parcel of the “cable television reception” which is included, via our contract in the Declarations, as one of the 6 services that we provide in our Services Package. In actuality, they are not, and never have been. “Basic cable” as defined by the FCC is explicitly defined as “must-carry” channels only, and does NOT include “retransmission consent” channels. For many years, we have been including these “Retransmission Consent” channels on our basic line-up at DECCA Digital Solutions at no-charge, paying these fees out of our own pocket. We have been glad to provide these channels, though Oak Run was not required by our Declarations to do so and unfortunately, we have been unable to resolve the current price/term demands NBC presented us with. Given this change in circumstances we can no longer provide this channel programming. Most importantly, the financial burden we have been carrying from these Broadcast charges over these many years has finally caught up with us, and without some final change, we would be on a sure trajectory to not only closing DECCA Digital Solutions, but putting OAK RUN ASSOCIATES, LTD. in dire financial straits, if not altogether out of business. In our letter to all our homeowners that I sent out on 12/22/21, I mentioned that the only Broadcast channel that we would be able to provide moving into the future would be ABC out of Gainesville, because they have elected Must-carry status. This forecast is now reality.
FINALLY, AND FROM THE HEART:
I wrote this in the hope and expectation that after reading this summary you each would know and understand the difficult position that we are in. I am sure that some of you do – and that there are others who don’t care what our reasons may be, and I can respect these differing opinions.
All that I ask, on behalf of our entire company, is that you would know how seriously we take our jobs of stewarding this community and taking care of it and meeting and exceeding your expectations. It’s why we have spent the incredible time and extraordinary sums of money that we have in the last 4 years on upgrading and massively renovating every venue that you enjoy at Oak Run – WITHOUT a special assessment! We hope you will see our love for you and the community and that you would be able to push through this latest change and continue to enjoy living a beautiful and peaceful life here at Oak Run with us.
Priya G.
