CBS stations in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and several other markets -- as well as CBS owned cable networks -- have been dropped late Friday afternoon from Time Warner Cable
systems all to due failed carriage negotiations.
Reports suggest CBS was looking to secure a deal which would pay them $2.00 per subscriber per month from the second largest U.S. cable
operator, this up from a deal made five years ago, which is believe to had a price tag of around 60 cents per subscriber per month.
A statement from CBS said: “Effective 5:00 PM Eastern
Time, Time Warner Cable has dropped CBS in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas and several other markets. We deeply regret this ill-advised action, which is injurious not only to our many affected
viewers, but also to Time Warner Cable itself.”
CBS went on to say Time Warner is wrong concerning a “fictional and ridiculous 600% increase CBS supposedly demanded”.
It added: “CBS, for its part, is eager to make an agreement in line with the kind it has struck with every other cable, satellite and telco provider, and has continually sought reasonable
term extensions to get that job done.”
Time Warner Cable has said: “CBS Corporation, the owner of several TV networks and broadcast TV stations, has made outrageous demands for the
right to continue delivering their programming to our customers. As a result, several CBS-owned channels have been removed from your lineup, while we continue to negotiate for fair and reasonable
terms.”
The dispute covers only CBS-owned TV stations, and CBS pay-cable networks Showtime and TMC. Time Warner Cable has approximately 12 million U.S. cable subscribers.
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