If you're an Optimum/Altice One cable tv subscriber in Litchfield or Fairfield County it might be hard to get your Dennis House or New York Knicks fix tonight. Another day, another cable carrier dispute here in Connecticut.

Yeah, I'm still one of the corded households desperately clinging onto my cable tv subscription in 2025. Damn it Optimum/Altice One, no WTNH, or MSG? What is coming next, a rate hike? Oh wait, I already got one.

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I noticed something was going on yesterday afternoon around 3PM, I flipped past WTNH - Channel 8 on my Optimum tv service and got the dreaded "This channel is no longer available" default message. WTNH was gone, as was WCTX, and the MSG channels. Why? Contract negotiations between Optimum/Altice One and MSG Networks & Nexstar. According to Optimum.com, Optimum has chosen to let Nexstar and MSG's channels go dark on our cable systems in order to negotiate a more reasonable carrier fee for us paying customers to keep enjoying their branded entertainment.

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According to MSN.com, Optimum has accused Nexstar of "an 'All or nothing' approach of price gouging customers" by forcing us to pay for unwanted content or channels, while Nexstar has accused Optimum of being 'Burdened by billions of dollars of debt' and 'forcing customers to pay more while getting less'.

What can us customers do in the meantime while the big players duke it out? Optimum suggests subscriptions to FUBO, Paramount+. Peacock, ESPN, and any other competitor that has access to the content. I appreciate the effort to contain consumer pricing, but after a $20 rate hike this year? Where are my scissors?

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