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RETRANSMISSION FEE SET TO INCREASE IN MARCH

Every three years, TrioTel Communications, Inc. is required to renegotiate the retransmission consent agreements with affiliate broadcast stations, including: KSFY/ABC, KELO/CBS, KDLT/NBC and KTTW/FOX.  As a small cooperative, TrioTel’s lack of negotiating leverage leaves us at the mercy of these broadcasters. We ultimately have no other choice than to agree with their demands and consent to increasing fees on a monthly per subscriber basis. Otherwise if demands are not met broadcasters will force us to remove their programming from our system.

As of March 1, 2018, the current retransmission fee to broadcasters will increase from $10.63 to $14.69 for all TrioVision subscribers. Customers will continue to see a separate line item on their bill called Retransmission Fee to Broadcasters. For the next two years, this fee will continue to increase until contracts are renegotiated. Listed below are the 2018 and 2019 retransmission fees. The rate for 2020 is an estimate as negotiations with KTTW/FOX will begin towards the end of 2019, for the new 2020 rate.

Retransmission Fee to Broadcasters:
2018 – $14.69
2019 – $16.74
2020 – $18.74 (estimate)

We take any rate increase for our customers very seriously and want to assure you that we did everything in our power to negotiate the lowest retransmission fee possible. In addition to the increase in the retransmission fee from the broadcast stations, other programmers such as: ESPN, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports Net North, TNT, and Nickelodeon just to name a few, have also substantially raised their rates as contracts were renegotiated this year. Fortunately for our customers, the TrioTel Board of Directors have once again elected to absorb these rate increases and not raise our package prices at this time.

Please contact our business office at 425-2238 with any questions or visit www.triotel.net/retransmissionfee/ for more information.