The renewal of Fox News Channel and a "placeholder" provision for its business channel with Time Warner Cable are just pieces of a larger pact the cable operator struck with News Corp.
Citing a Time Warner executive familiar with the details, the trade magazine says the contract--finalized last week--also covers retransmission-consent carriage for Fox's owned-and-operated stations
through 2009; renewals for Fox News and Speed Channel; the addition of Fox Reality Channel; and a commitment to the business channel.
While a Fox News spokesman confirmed the
extension agreement for the news service and the placeholder pact, he declines comment on any financial terms. Of the 35 stations in 26 markets that make up the Fox Television Station group, those
that transmit in Time Warner Cable-served DMAs include New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Kansas City.
The Time Warner exec adds that Fox's owned-and-operated
stations had been out of contract with it for more than two years, but remained on air through a month-to-month renewal process under terms of the old contract. The deal also covers a contract renewal
for Speed, which boasts about 70 million subscribers, as well as the launch of Fox Reality in roughly one-half of Time Warner Cable's footprint.
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