No FOX or NBC With Your Cox Cable TV Service?

Are you a Cox customer who kicked back to watch one of your favorite NBC or FOX programs this weekend only to realize those channels weren't available?

Both local networks affiliates have been absent from the Cox lineup as of Saturday at midnight, but many found out as they tuned in to watch 'Grease: Live!' earlier tonight.

This has left many Cox customers asking: Where are my channels?

Here's the quick explanation:

The channels disappeared because of the price Nexstar, which owns the affiliates, wants Cox to pay to include the channels in their basic cable package.
Nexstar told The Advocate that it’s ‘asking Cox to pay us at market rate,’ which is the same rate Nexstar asked other cable and satellite companies to pay last December.
Cox refuses to pay the rate, which it says is higher than what is has been paying previously, and accuses Nexstar of using the higher rates to pay for Nexstar’s planned acquisition of Media General. This acquisition would cost Nexstar a whopping $4.6 billion.

While this offers up an explanation as to why the channels are currently absent, the average Cox subscriber couldn't care less about negotiations or inside information. They just want the programming they pay a monthly rate for—a rate that always finds a way to increase over time.

Sound familiar?

One Cox customer who planned on watching 'Grease: Live!' on Sunday night was not satisfied with the cable provider's reasoning for the absence of programming.

She does have a point: If Cox expects us to "pay to play," why don't they play by the same rules—especially if their customers are the ones who ultimately suffer in the end.

KTDY's Chris Meaux brings up a great point,

It’s nearly impossible for you and me, the average Joe and Jane who are just customers and not industry insiders, to really know the truth. The only thing we need to know is, we are the ones being hurt by this situation. We’ve lost access to shows we enjoy watching, but also, local news and programming.

I highly doubt anyone will get their bill discounted as a result of this, and I'm more than certain there is fine print that protects Cox in these types of situations anyway.

This isn't the first time this has happened (and it probably won't be the last), but with more and more people taking advantage of new services and technology when it comes to television viewing, these are the types of situations that can trigger someone to "cut the cord" once, and for all.

Have you missed out on any of your favorite programming as a result of this dispute? Do you think you should miss out on programming because two large media companies can't come to terms?

No FOX or NBC With Your Cox Cable TV Service?—Here’s Why