Football at risk in TV dispute
Print- •
-
Share
- Share this item
-
Grab the link
Copy and paste the link:
- Blog about it
- Close
- •
-
17 Comments
- •
Favorite- •
-
Report error
-
Thank you for your submission.Error report or correction
- Close
-
- •
-
Time Warner Cable's Southwest Division serves South Central Texas with more than 8,600 customers in more than five communities including Cuero, Yoakum, Gonzales, Refugio and Beeville.
Bart Simpson and the Sugar Bowl game could disappear from the TVs of Time Warner Cable subscribers in New York, Los Angeles and other markets in a bitter dispute over fees that the Fox television network is demanding.
As a midnight Thursday deadline approaches, Time Warner Cable offered an olive branch that could leave the Fox network and some of its cable TV channels on the lineup for millions of subscribers – for now. But an executive at Fox owner News Corp. indicated a signal interruption was likely.
In dispute are the fees that Time Warner Cable Inc. pays Fox to carry its channels. In the past, the Fox network was offered for free, and cable companies essentially paid more for FX and other cable channels that News Corp. also owns. This time, News Corp. is demanding $1 per subscriber every month for the network itself.
Fox, hurt by reductions in advertising revenue and increases in programming costs, argues that Time Warner Cable is making money off its programming, so it should get a cut of revenue. Time Warner Cable says the demanded fees are excessive.
Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt said Wednesday the cable TV operator will agree to binding arbitration and any interim steps necessary to keep Fox channels on while talks continue.
“Consumers should not be held hostage during these negotiations. That’s just wrong,” Britt said in an interview Wednesday.
But in a note to employees Wednesday, News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey said temporarily extending the current terms past Thursday would “simply extend the period of time that Time Warner profits from our marquee programming without fairly compensating Fox for it.”
He also rejected arbitration as a possibility in a letter to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who had pleaded for both sides to agree to uninterrupted television for football fans “through the college bowl season.”
If a new deal isn’t reached, programs that could disappear from Time Warner Cable Inc.’s lineup include “The Simpsons” and several football games – among them, the Sugar Bowl on Friday, the Cotton Bowl on Saturday and the NFL’s final regular season contests on Sunday. Bright House Networks’ cable TV systems also face a Thursday deadline with News Corp.
In Florida, two television viewers filed a lawsuit Wednesday against News Corp., seeking an injunction to ensure that the Fox broadcast of the Florida-Cincinnati Sugar Bowl contest would remain on Bright House’s cable system. Circuit Judge Maura Smith in Orlando did not immediately rule.
Time Warner Cable has more than 13 million TV subscribers and Bright House has more than 2 million, though their dispute involving the Fox network only concerns 14 Fox-owned stations covering such markets as Los Angeles, New York, Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, Texas and Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg and Orlando, Fla.
Separately, TV station owners are also negotiating deals with several cable systems around the country.
Time Warner Cable's Southwest Division serves South Central Texas with more than 8,600 customers in more than five communities including Cuero, Yoakum, Gonzales, Refugio and Beeville.
-
Print
- •
-
Share
- Share this item
-
Grab the link
Copy and paste the link:
- Blog about it
- Close
- •
-
17 Comments
- •
- Favorite
- •
-
Report error
-
Thank you for your submission.Error report or correction
- Close
-
- •
Comments
What you saw was not an ad, but a text box that accompanied a related wire story.
It appears the text box was sent online without the wire story attached. I agree this text box published alone can be confusing and this should not happen again. We will review the process of attaching text boxes for print and the transition to online to ensure this will be avoided in the future. We've updated and corrected the story.
Here's a screenshot of our digital edition, you can see how the story appeared in print, with the text box: http://www.twitpic.com/w1tgp/full
Thanks for alerting us about this problem. Have a great day. - CJ
December 31, 2009 at 11:31 a.m.There's a much bigger story then this, that is, ABC, NBC, FOX channels are not making enough profit and are now wanting to move their channels to the cable line up for more income, it would mean a change in history like we have never seen, also would = more money out of our pockets for sure, but what's new.
December 31, 2009 at 9:24 a.m.you all missed the few lines stating time warner and fox failed to agree on a new contract. it was an unfinished thought line as well.
December 30, 2009 at 10:25 p.m.HELLO where is the rest of this late breaking news!?!?!
December 30, 2009 at 10:08 p.m."Gods little Rapper article"...are you serious? There was such an article?
December 30, 2009 at 10:02 p.m.I am surprised this is not considered BREAKING NEWS and in the little banner at the top of the home page. I need to send this amazing story to all my friends!
December 30, 2009 at 9:58 p.m.It's (sic) alright.....
And the sad thing is, they wouldn't even recognize your comment as the finely tuned lovely little piece of sarcasm that it is.
Some people just wouldn't recognize quality if it bit them on the butt.
December 30, 2009 at 9:33 p.m.I feel sorry for anyone who is stuck with Time Warner...they are constantly raising rates while cutting channels & now could lose FOX networks...bye bye Cowboys TimeWarner customers.
December 30, 2009 at 9:17 p.m.And PatientEarth, no matter how "patient" you are, do not expect an answer from the VicAd. They have yet to answer my question about just HOW a "sponsored blog" works, nor do I expect them to.
December 30, 2009 at 9:14 p.m.oooooooook....and this serves us in what way?
December 30, 2009 at 9:07 p.m.