• by David Goetzl , January 21, 2010

The Food Network is once again ready for consumption by Cablevision customers. After nearly three weeks, Scripps Networks Interactive and the New York-area cable operator have resolved their standoff and both Food and HGTV are back on in some 3 million homes.

The two sides had been fighting over how much Cablevision would pay Scripps for rights to offer the popular networks. Scripps said Cablevision was paying a combined 25 cents a month per subscriber for the pair. And it wanted more -- for the Food Network, in particular -- to bump that up.

Terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

Scripps, which pulled the networks off Cablevision Jan. 1, had tried to put some pressure on Cablevision to settle on its terms with a barrage of ads that were critical of the cable company. A taste of the vitriol came as Scripps lambasted Cablevision for accusing it of engaging in "unusual or unethical" negotiating tactics in a statement it released.

Scripps also tried to apply some pressure by airing reruns of some of its programming on local stations in New York and Connecticut.

Still, ratings continued to increase for both Food and HGTV nationally during the battle. Cablevision customers make up only about 3% of each channel's reach.