Flashback Friday? Time Warner Cable vs. CBS

Update (Aug 4, 2013): CBS has released a new official statement regarding negotiations with TWC

There are no negotiations taking place at this time between CBS and Time Warner Cable. Before the
deadline on Friday we asked TWC to continue the negotiation while our programming was still on the air
in consideration for our viewers. They rejected this request and told us that they’d have more leverage
against us if they took us off their service. This is hardly a sign that they care about their customers as
they claim. We remain ready to negotiate in good faith when they are.

As many Time Warner Cable customers already know, especially those who watch Big Brother and for the past few episodes, have seen the scroll at the bottom that you might lose your CBS channel, TWC and CBS are currently in the struggle of re-negotiation of their fees. Specifically, CBS is asking for a new contract with higher re-transmission fees for Time Warner Cable to broadcast their content.

Why a “Flashback Friday”? Because how many times have we seen this happen? Eventually it does resolve itself, the loser ALWAYS the TV Subscriber no matter which side gets their way really. Higher fees always means higher fees for YOU, not for the cable company. No negotiation means we lose our channels and somehow, still get a higher cable bill? (That one I haven’t quite figured out yet.)

Now, I’m not going to take sides between CBS/Time Warner Cable. Really, you can insert anyone in that equation. FOX/Comcast. Viacom/Dish. You get the picture. It’s constant and the only losers are us. We lose in price or we lose our favorite channel. It sucks quite frankly.

Now I used to, in another life, work for the cable company. Yes, I took your calls that the broadcaster told you to make to “tell us to keep” their channel, or of course the calls the Cable Company told you to make to “Not give in to their demands!” I remember specifically the fight between Fox and Time Warner Cable. We had to be staffed on New Years Eve of all things to take those calls. Why? Because the contract was going to run out at midnight. You have NO IDEA how much fun it is to answer the phone right before Midnight on New Years Eve to someone yelling at you (as if you are in on the negotiations) to keep their Fox on the air. Really, it’s kind of a joke. Do these callers really think we have any say? Do they not understand that whatever the cable company bends to on price just gets passed on to the consumer? Sigh.

It’s okay to make the call and let them know you prefer to keep/discard the network, but PLEASE realize the person you are talking to has no control over it and be human… And please, please, please find something else to do on New Years Eve.

But I digress… back to the reason I am writing this.

Another thing those callers don’t realize… In all the uproar over CBS maybe pulling their channel, or Fox, or NBC, or ABC etc. etc. Those channels are FREE OVER THE AIR CHANNELS. Yes, you do NOT need Cable, Dish, DirecTv, FIOS, etc. to see these. You just need a trusty antenna that you can purchase, or better yet, make your own for REALLY cheap! You may also need a converter box ONLY if your TV is older. And by older, I mean grandma’s TV… Ok, maybe mom’s TV or that weird retro Uncle you have that lives in a friends basement. Basically, if you have a digital ready Television, you can get those channels free. If you purchased your Television after 2004, more than likely it’s digital ready. If you purchased your TV after 2007, then it HAS to be digital ready by law, so no box needed.

ku-xlargeAnyway, I thought I would pass this info on about the ALMOST FREE antenna that you can make yourself. You know, DIY. Even if you have cable, satellite, fios or what not, it’s actually kind of a nice thing to have anyway. There are SO MANY over the air digital channels that you aren’t getting with these companies, and why shouldn’t you? They’re FREE. If you have a Tivo, you can even record from them. Many are in a really crisp HD too. So whether you are a cord cutter or a full fledged subscriber, why not give this a shot? Did I say free? (Well, almost free anyway. At least it’s without the monthly cost.)

Now some say that this DIY antenna is actually better than some of the more costly purchased ones. I will leave that up to you. Also note, I can’t take credit for this… this is someone else’s love child, I’m just sharing the wealth. This one was adopted from someone else (who she credits) by Holly Mann (and made pretty with paint to make it wall hang-able, if that’s such a word) and is reported to work really well. To view the instructions on how to make this, go HERE.

While you’re at it, you can also check out what channels should come in for you OTA (Over the Air) by your Zip Code HERE. (Keep in mind that many of these channels have more than one channel included. Meaning you may see one channel as “4-1” but there may also be a “4-2” and “4-3”. The last time I checked in my area there were at least 8 different PBS channels each broadcasting something different.

So good luck! If you decide to make one of these nifty things (which I will do soon too and will update with how it goes) let us know below in the comments how it turned out! Did it work? Did it fizzle out? Did you do something different that made it better? Keep us updated!

Oh and, of course, join us in the FORUM one of these days. You will be glad you did!

 

 

CBS Big Brother Live Feeds Go Canadian!

CBS Listened to your feedback! The Big Brother Live Feeds are now available to purchase and watch in Canada! No more hunting around for a way to do it!

If you decide to purchase, PLEASE consider using our link or banner to do so! You get the same discounted price AND help out the Yak at the same time!  🙂

You can purchase your feeds HERE!

Once you purchase, don’t forget to come back to the Yak and discuss all the happenings with us in the Forum HERE!

BB15 Aaryn and GinaMarie Lose Jobs After Racist Comments

If you are a Big Brother Live Feed Watcher, then you will already know that there have been some pretty incindiary comments coming out of the mouths of some of these Houseguests and, well, a couple of them are already paying the price. Course, they don’t know it yet since they are still inside the Big Brother House and cut off from their outside world.

AarynBB15SwimsuitAaryn Gries, the 22 year old from Texas, has been let go from her modeling contract with Zephyr Talent. When Zephyr Talent got word (or do they watch the feeds?) of all the racist comments spewing from her mouth, they decided enough was enough. In a statement made by her Agency: “Aaryn, season 15 cast member of Big Brother, revealed prejudices and other beliefs that we (Zephyr Talent) do not condone. We certainly find the statements made by Aaryn on the live Internet feed to be offensive. Upon much consideration, we have decided to release Aaryn from her contract with Zephyr Talent.”

If you missed any of it, Aaryn was observed making pretty much derogatory, racist and prejudiced comments about just about everyone, except of course her blond hair, blue eyed surfer boyfriend in the house David. I’m not going to repeat some of the things she has said, but you can certainly read about them in our forum HERE.

Aaryn isn’t the only one. In fact, there are a few of the Houseguests doing this in the house this season. Which leads us to the next job casuality…

GMBB15SwimsuitGinaMarie Zimmerman, the 32 yr. old from Brooklyn New York, is reported to have lost her job as a Pageant Consultant from East Coast USA Pageant, Inc. In a statement released by East Coast “We have never known this side of GinaMarie or have ever witnessed such acts of racism in the past. We are actually thankful that this show let us see GinaMarie for who she truly is. We would never want her to be a role model to our future contestants. In a business where we are surrounded by beauty every day we are saddened to see something so ugly come from someone we put on a very high pedestal.”

In fact, East Coast had promoted the fact that GinaMarie was going on the show to their girls, telling them what a great role model she will make on the show, and to vote for her. How unfortunate for them.

In the meantime, CBS has made a statement that they are disgusted by this behavior by the houseguests, but have no plans to air it as of yet. For me, this is very disappointing. The pull of Big Brother for myself and many that I know was always the social experiment. You take people from different parts of the country, from different walks of life, put them together and cut them off from the outside world. Well, this is what you get. This is, unfortunately, a little slice of this melting pot we call America. Racism, Prejudice, Misogyny, etc. exists and is alive and well in the Big Brother house. I have heard it reported that CBS has spoken to the houseguests about it which really, I wish they wouldn’t involve themselves at this point. This is who they cast. These people are adults (whether they act that way or not) and are aware that there are cameras everywhere recording them at all times. They wear a microphone around their neck. They know there are feeds online 24/7. They know anything they say could possibly make it to air. Even if they were recruited and have never seen a show, they are still made aware of the above. What they say, who they are, should be shown and be their own consequences. It is a game show, and if viewers of the television show do not watch or follow the online BB community, they may not know what they are voting for. I say let their true selves air.

That said, who do you think will lose their job next?

FIRST LOOK: The Talk “Big Brother” Edition, Plus Time Lapse of Big Brother House Construction

The Big Brother pre-season may have been quieter compared to previous, but CBS’s The Talk visited the house this Spring. As we previously announced, the special “Big Brother” edition of the award winning Daytime talk show will air THIS Wednesday, June 26 – the day which “Big Brother 15” is set to premiere (8/7c on CBS). We have your FIRST LOOK pictures of the special episode of “The Talk” where the ladies will vote to evict one of their own live.

Related | Meet the Big Brother 15 Houseguests

Julie Chen and co-hosts Sharon Osbourne, Sara Gilbert, Sheryl Underwood and Aisha Tyler played an abbreviated version of the game that will air. Along with the revelation of the votes live, we’ll get a special preview of Wednesday’s “Big Brother” premiere. Check out these FIRST LOOK pictures of the ladies and watch a special time lapse of how the Big Brother house came to be (below).

Related | Big Brother 15 Twist: The Big Brother MVP

As a reminder, the special 20% discount on the Live Feeds expires soon. If you haven’t purchased your feeds and could like to do so – CLICK HERE – for more information!

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Romney/Ryan Tattoo Guy Getting Tattoo Removed

Normally, we here at the Yak try to stay away from anything politics… WAY away. Aside from a forum thread or two, we choose to remain impartial on the topic since it can get pretty heated.

The reason I preface this article with our political stance is because, well, this article is slightly political, kinda. It has a spin however that makes it relevant here… read on and you will see why. I have to say when I found this article late last night, reading innocently, until I got toward the end and literally laughed out loud, I just had to share.

If you haven’t run into the article about the Romney/Ryan tattoo dude yet, here is a little background. So this guy in Michigan City Indiana, Eric Hartsburg, put his face up on Ebay apparently before the election and for $5000, agreed to have the Romney/Ryan “R” logo tattooed to his face (as you can see in the picture.) He was very proud of his tattoo I guess and it was covered by a lot of online media at the time. He had said that he will keep it on his face forever. After the election and the Romney loss, he still remained adamant that he was “a man of his word” and would not have it removed, even though an offer rolled in from a “Dr. TATTOFF” in Los Angeles to remove it for free.

Well, Eric has now changed his mind. He cites the reason he wants it removed now (according to Politico) is because of Romney’s post election comments, mainly the one about how Romney believes Obama won re-election because of “gifts” given out to his constituency. Eric told Politico that “It stands not only for a losing campaign but for a sore loser,” Hartsburg said. “He’s pretty shameful as far as I’m concerned, man. There’s no dignity in blaming somebody else for buying votes and paying off people. I can’t get behind that or stay behind that.”

So alas, Mr. Hartsburg has changed his mind, wants the ink removed from his face and has accepted the offer from “Dr. TATTOFF” in Los Angeles.

This is where Yak relevance comes in. Next week, tattoo face dude will be flying out to Los Angeles to start the first round of his tattoo removal, led by none other than Dr. Will Kirby. Yeah, Evil Dr. Will is heading the charge to get this tattoo off the dudes face.

“You can’t walk around with a big ‘R’ on your face!” Kirby told politico of the tattoo. I guess fortunately for the guy, it’s on the face… Apparently tattoos below the heart are harder to remove. Unfortunately for Eric though, there is a lot of blue ink which is harder to remove than other pigments. Dr. Will also said that each session is quick, “maybe 60 to 90 seconds” and then requires eight weeks between sessions for the skin to heal. He estimated it will take about 7-10 sessions to get the tattoo completely removed, which could take up to a year, and it hurts, however Kirby said “my understanding is that he has a good threshold for pain.”

So there you have it. Big Brother Alum Will Kirby doing a good deed for tattoo dude and removing the logo from Eric’s face. He may turn out to be a repeat costumer however, since according to Politico, dude might put his face up for sale on ebay once again when this is all over.

I guess some people will never learn.

FIRST LOOK! Big Brother Canada House Tour

 

With Big Brother Canada set to premiere in February 2013, the production crew is hard at work on the cage that will house the first crop of Canadian hamsters. ET Canada takes BB fans (American and Canadian alike!) inside the walls of the Ontario studio for the very first glimpse at the BB Canada house. While the house is still very much under construction, it’s looking pretty righteous, eh? The house will feature an indoor backyard, similar to the one featured on the Glass House. The shows producer promises that a “soft box” will be installed that will change the lighting throughout the day, casting shadows and bringing the outdoors indoors. Also noted in the video is the fact that just like its American sibling, BB Canada will feature a studio audience during its live eviction shows. So, Canadian super fans, be on the lookout for tickets soon!

 

Thanks to YouTube, we can now bring those of you here in the USA the clip. Enjoy, and be sure to share your thoughts with us.

 

 

The Glass House vs. Big Brother: The Off-Screen Drama Continues!

The Glass House and Big Brother concluded their seasons months ago, but the drama has not ended off screen just yet. But this time, it’s the ex-Big Brother employees, Corie Henson, Michael O’Sullivan, and executive producer Kenny Rosen now working for The Glass House, who have chosen to fire back, claiming that CBS is using “litigation equivalent of war.” CBS has abandoned the lawsuit, but the three producers are asking the court to stop the network from arbitrating its claims. According to the filing,

“CBS made these allegations as part of its campaign to prevent, or at the very least, disrupt and harass, the production of a new reality show ‘The Glass House,’ which CBS regarded as competitive with its reality show ‘Big Brother.’ Plaintiffs had previously worked on ‘Big Brother’ and then took jobs on ‘The Glass House.’ CBS intended to send a message that former CBS employees who later dared to work for a competing show would be punished.”

The producers claim that CBS knew their nondisclosures while working on Big Brother included arbitration clauses but that CBS neglected that when they sued ABC and The Glass House earlier this summer. When CBS dropped the suit in August, they cited low ratings by the ABC competition. The complaint from the producers goes on to say

“But CBS was not done harassing plaintiffs. On the same day that CBS dropped the plaintiffs from its federal case, it belatedly attempted to invoke the previously ignored arbitration provision in the non-disclosure agreements. CBS’s arbitration demand involves exactly the same claims and same facts upon which CBS sought to build a case in federal court. Moreover, the arbitration demand refers expressly to discovery CBS obtained during the court action.”

It is important to note that ABC, as a network, isn’t included in on this complaint, but rather Rosen and O’Sullivan, as producers of TGH, and Henson, ABC’s president of alternative programming.

Just Announced: Yak Big Brother Season 2 Is Coming … This Winter!

UPDATE: Casting is open! Click here to apply!

Think you have what it takes to be crowned the next winner of Big Brother? Well, grab your mittens and bundle up because YBB Season 2 is heating up the Yak this Winter! With a premiere date of Tuesday February 12th quickly approaching, casting details will be revealed soon. Stay tuned to this thread (click here) for updates (including – Casting updates, Cast/Bio releases, House Tour, and more!), follow our YBB Twitter account (@YakBigBrother!), and tell your friends to do the same!

This season, the twists and turns will most definitely be H.O.T!

Big Brother Australia Contestant Quits After Family Tragedy

Popular Australian Big Brother contestant Josh Moore has quit the reality series after the sudden death of his brother. Josh was called to the captains quarters where he met with his parents who informed him of the sudden passing of his older brother Toby 32.  It’s being reported that Toby has died from a sudden heart attack.

“Josh then spent the night outside the house with his family where he made the decision to leave the Big Brother competition and go home to support his family at this sad time.

“The Southern Star production team and the Nine Network wish to express their sympathy to the family and ask the fans of Big Brother and the media to allow them privacy at this time.”

Josh a 28-year-old musician was a real contender to win Big Brother and take home the $250,000 prize as he was very popular among housemates, in the house for two months Josh has never been nominated for eviction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4OSFJBWE3g

If you’re a fan of Big Brother Australia, you can send messages of support to Josh and his family via email: bigbrother@sstar.com.au

You can watch full episodes of Big Brother Australia by clicking the link.

Op-Ed: Big Brother 14’s Shane and Danielle Fans Have Twitter Users Suspended

If you’re a Big Brother 14 fan (like this very writer) who has recently received the below letter from Twitter, you may have fallen victim to a crusade by the fans of Danielle Murphee and Shane Meaney.

Hello,

This account was suspended for sending multiple unsolicited messages using the @reply and/or mention feature. These features are intended to make communication between people on Twitter easier.

Twitter monitors the use of these features to make sure they are used as intended and not for abuse. Using either feature to post messages to a bunch of users in an unsolicited or egregious manner is considered an abuse of its use, which results in account suspension.

For more information about these features, please visit our @Replies and Mentions help page:  http://support.twitter.com/articles/14023

Based on tweets (see below), it appears that Danielle and Shane’s fans are leaping to their rescue by reporting Twitter users who not only directly tweet negative comments to Shane and Danielle, but also users who make negative comments about the Big Brother 14 couple in general.

@AndrewWang26@Shanielle_Army@ShanilleFan and  @ShaneDaniMeaney appear to be the biggest culprits searching out anyone and everyone on Twitter who make negative comments, once found not only do they block the person and report them to Twitter for the alleged abuse, but they also notify one another to block and report the Tweeter to Twitter as well.  Depending on how old the Twitter account is, it only takes a few blocks and reports to have an account suspended.

Big-Brother-14s-Shane-and-Danielle-Have-Twitter-Users-Suspended

ShaneDaniMeaney

As you can see from the screen-cap below of an expanded conversation it appears that @Shanielle_Army is deleting tweets, tweets that were there minutes ago are now gone.

Shanielle_Army

In fairness they claim to only be reporting those accounts that were specifically created to harass and terrorize Shane and Danielle, this I agree with one hundred percent.  However, the person who brought this to my attention has been on twitter since February 2010 and their tweets about Danielle and Shane were between them and another user, neither Shane nor Danielle were tagged in the tweets.  In my humble opinion, it’s one thing to report those newly created accounts and another thing to report users who have obviously been around for sometime.  Reporting seasoned Tweeters and having their accounts shutdown because you don’t like what they have to say is infringing on their rights to free speech and that I disagree with.

Once you’ve contacted Twitter and promised to be a good boy or girl you should receive the following e-mail:

Hi,

I have now un-suspended your account.  Please note that it may take an hour or so for your follower and following numbers to return to normal.

Be sure to review the Twitter Rules, as repeat violations may result in permanent suspension:  http://twitter.com/rules

This is what I have to say to the people of Twitter – once the season of your favorite reality show is over, the participants are off limits.  Allow them to fade away into the darkness; by continuing to spew your dislike for them you’re only expanding their 15 minutes of fame.

What are your thoughts on the matter? We wanna hear your opinions? Sound off below!