Time Warner Cable May Dropping Fox Network?

[Stiker]

Heard an ad on the radio today and I couldn't believe it, but it seems this could be an actual possibility. Found a bunch of articles and this one seemed the best in my quick search:

http://www.statesman.com/business/ti...es-139230.html

Area Time Warner Cable customers could see Fox disappear from their screens if the two media companies don't negotiate a new contract soon.

The cable company's current deal with Fox in several markets, including Austin, will expire at midnight Dec. 31.

If a compromise isn't worked out, Time Warner's Austin-area customers could miss three BCS bowl games: the Jan. 1 Allstate Sugar Bowl (Florida vs. Cincinnati), the Jan. 4 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Boise State vs. TCU) and the Jan. 5 FedEx Orange Bowl (Georgia Tech vs. Iowa).

Fox is also broadcasting the Jan. 2 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic (Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss) and the last game of the Dallas Cowboys' regular season Jan. 3 against Philadelphia.

A protracted stalemate could also mean some local viewers won't get to see the start of the latest season of "American Idol," which will premiere Jan. 12 and 13.

The current dispute affects several markets where long-term deals with Fox television stations are about to expire, including Austin; Dallas; New York; Los Angeles; Detroit; Orlando, Fla.; and Tampa, Fla. The outcome would also affect Fox cable channels FX, Speed, Fuel TV, the Fox Movie Channel and regional sports outlets such as Fox Sports Southwest.

According to news reports, Fox has requested a monthly $1 per subscriber fee in exchange for allowing Time Warner to carry the network's signals. Time Warner has so far refused.

In the past, networks have not received cash fees for allowing their broadcast network channels to be carried on cable, although they have been paid for their cable channels.

But this fight could set a precedent if Fox ends up wrangling a significant fee from Time Warner.

Both sides have launched advertising campaigns. Time Warner set up a Web site, www.rolloverorgettough.com, asking customers to "help us decide what to do."

On its Web site, the cable company says, "Some TV networks have demanded that we pay them a lot more for their programming \u2026 even up to 300 percent more than what we are currently paying. We don't think that's fair, especially considering the economic reality everyone is facing today."

Fox fired back with www.keepfoxon.com and a full-page ad in Sunday's American-Statesman. "Time Warner Cable is using programming costs as an excuse to raise your bill while they continue to rake in billions in profits," the ad read.

A News Corp. spokeswoman said the network wouldn't comment beyond a statement that says Fox has attempted to negotiate "in good faith" with Time Warner for the past nine months.

"Our position in these negotiations is entirely reasonable — we are simply asking for fair compensation for the impressive value our Fox programming offers," the statement says.

Fox says it will continue negotiating with Time Warner "in hopes of reaching a fair agreement."

Jon Herrera, a Time Warner Cable spokesman, said the cable company is "hopeful something can be worked out."

He said he didn't know the specific amount that Fox was asking for.
In recent years, broadcasters have said they "intend to get pretty aggressive" in regards to retransmission fees, Herrera said.

Time Warner has raised rates for customers in the past year, he said, and programming fees are the biggest reason for increases.

"There seems to be an interest, from many programmers, to ask for steep rate hikes," he said.

Such spats between Time Warner and network affiliates are not unprecedented.

Austin NBC affiliate KXAN was off the air for almost a month in the fall of 2008 after its owner, LIN TV, got in a fight with Time Warner over retransmission fees. They eventually hammered out a confidential compromise, and life returned to normal.

"We're hoping that Fox will continue to provide the signal to their customers and not put our customers and their customers in the middle of these negotiations," Herrera said.

I find this absolutely hilarious. Especially if Time Warner is saying the reason they won't do it is because they would pass on part of a $1 fee to each subscriber.

I can just imagine the shit storm that would hit in Dallas if a deal isn't hammered out and the final Cowboys home game of the year isn't televised, as well as the upcoming Fiesta Bowl with a local TCU team. Add on to that your regular shows and sports in general and the lulz just grows.

This is why I have Verizon.

Edit: brain-fart on title meant to type "May Be Dropping"

[Mizango]

Time Warner pulls this shit every year it seems, their corporate offices are here in Charlotte and they are trying to calm everyone down by running the whole "We're fighting for you and for lower cable costs, were not backing down to greedy stations" bullshit campaign. Not sure if they are running in other areas but man, its always something with them.

[Mizango]

I'd love to not see Dallas on my TV though, so do work TWC.

[kuronosan]

Yea, we're getting that here too.

"Don't allow your broadcasters to make us have to charge you more for their greed. Call your stations today and tell them you won't back down."

Yea. Just as soon as you make my internet faster like you promised and stop having shitty selections of channels.

[Chun Liroy]

I'd love to not see Dallas on my TV though, so do work TWC.

Hopefully that shit gets flexd. Fuck Buck.

[Stiker]

In that article they mention TWC's site http://www.rolloverorgettough.com/ and it's a voting page...

This has serious trolling opportunity to fuck a shit load of people over. Who's up for making a mass voting script to "get tough"?

[Stiker]

Holy shit, read the comments on that site. Some people believe their cable bill would rise 100% or more lololololol

[willriker]

if they tell fox to stuff it... ill give timewarner 5 dollars.

[Cephius]

Hate time warner, hate Fox. Hope they both kill each other.

[Diamicles]

obligatory lolcable comment

seriously who uses cable anymore? shit is unsubsidized anyway, they can charge people anything they want and no one can do anything about it.

[Mizango]

Hate time warner, hate Fox. Hope they both kill each other.

I'll one up you, I hate TWC and I hate watching Fox play on Fox every Sunday, I hope all 3 kill each other.

[Stiker]

I'll one up you, I hate TWC and I hate watching Fox play on Fox every Sunday, I hope all 3 kill each other.

lol

[Correction]

Shit reminds me of the baseball strike. Two rich, greedy shits fagslapping each other over who gets a bigger share of next year's money avalanche.

[Man0warr]

Cowboys-Eagles will get flexed to NBC SNF anyways.

[Melena]

obligatory lolcable comment

seriously who uses cable anymore? shit is unsubsidized anyway, they can charge people anything they want and no one can do anything about it.

Cause i'd rather have my balls nail gunned to the floor then deal with AT&T after the way they fucked me when they were SBC many years ago. QQ Want Verizon FIOS and TV where I live

[DeathbySnoosnoo]

Ya we saw how well this worked with nbc lol, time warner will cave in eventually.

[Valisk]

Ya we saw how well this worked with nbc lol, time warner will cave in eventually.

Yup, they have no choice. Absolutely nothing they can do unless there are some legal obligations tied into it. But seeing as the contract expires Dec. 31, I don't see anything legal that would hold. Either accept Fox's demands or go out of business pretty much. Fox is Microsofting bitches.

[Priran]

Will this affect Fox News Channel? If so, I'd love to see them drop Fox. Otherwise I couldn't give a fuck.

[Leif]

Will this affect Fox News Channel? If so, I'd love to see them drop Fox. Otherwise I couldn't give a fuck.

Probably not......

Fox News-derangement-syndrome.

[Kurokikaze]

Wait nooooooo! Fuck FOX News - what about House?! ;_;