Fox, Time Warner negotiations go beyond midnight deadline (3 hour extension)

Orlando Sentinel ^ | 12/31/09 | Hal Boedeker

[hole_n_one]

Negotiations between Fox and Time Warner Cable continued beyond a midnight deadline.

The two television giants were negotiating over fees in Los Angeles. They had agreed to a three-hour extension beyond the deadline, Fox-owned WOFL-Channel 35 announced shortly before midnight.

Time Warner represents programming partner Bright House Networks, which serves 850,000 subscribers in Central Florida.

The three-hour extension means the Fox signal will stay on Bright House at least until 3 a.m. With no deal, Fox could go dark on Bright House as the new year begins. Fox later today will present the Sugar Bowl between Cincinnati and the University of Florida. For the last time, Tim Tebow will play as the Gators’ quarterback in the game.

A plea came from Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He urged Fox and Time Warner Cable to agree to a temporary extension so customers’ service wouldn’t be disrupted.

[Cold Heat]

I pay the cable A’holes 100 bucks a month. I watch like three or four channels plus internet. So I guess screwing me out of another buck for one of those four channels is par for the course.

[bronxville]

I just lost the cooking and selling houses channels. I enjoyed them both. The only channels left that I like are Fox News and the Catholic channel, the latter runs a few hrs in the morning (which I don’t get to watch anyway) and then evening hrs. I’m thinking of canceling as I’m paying almost $70/mo.

[pepsionice]

I’m about to move to a different region of the US. The local cable company deal was amusing...99 channels for about $59 (no premium channels with the deal). I surveyed the 99 channels. To be honest...other than the History Channel, Fox News, and maybe Animal Planet...there was nothing else beyond the local region channels that I had an interest in. So I’m paying $59 for seven channels total? Logic escapes me how I can justify this much money for a couple of channels.

[octex]

0130 Friday here in the DFW area. Fox broadcast station is still on. .......TW will be in a world of hurt if they don’t negotiate with Fox to keep airing that broadcast channel, as a Fox withdrawal would wipe out the Sugar Bowl this afternoon, the Cotton Bowl Saturday and the Eagles vs. Cowboys game Sunday afternoon.

Fox is the culprit in this game. Most of the other re-broadcasting firms only pay Fox around 25-30 cents per subscriber. Fox is wanting TW to pay $1 per subscriber, which is 3 to 4 times as much as the others.

[VeniVidiVici]

Local ambulance chaser requested an injunction to force Fox to air the Sugar Bowl. It was denied.

http://www.wftv.com/news/22099540/detail.html

[VeniVidiVici]

Fox is the culprit in this game.

I dunno. Fox is undeniably the most popular network and they want to start charging a premium. Perhaps TWC was first up for contract renewal.

If Fox can get it, more power to 'em. It will be refreshing after all the fascism we've seen the past year.

[poobear]

Yes, he got his 84” head on the TV for a couple of days. What a putz!

I'm really ticked about the cable BS here. Dufus ambulance chaser can stay out of it though!

[VeniVidiVici]

You have Brighthouse? I dumped them in August for UVerse. Internet is not as fast but so far has been more reliable and the TV/DVR setup is light years ahead of BH. The $250 rebate certainly didn’t hurt either :-)

[MediaMole]

Fox has been getting about 30 cents per subscriber per month. Time Warner is offering them 50 -60 cents per subscriber, but Fox wants $1 each.

[poobear]

I am lazy. Please tell me the best outlets. This has been awful!

[DGHoodini]

Go DirecTV.

[octex]

To each his own, VVV.

The ONLY things I ever watch on Fox broadcast is sports and House. CBS broadcast, in my opinion, is much better with the NCIS and CSI series, plus their spinoffs.

Does no good for any of us to debate which broadcast network is better than others. ....Bottom line is that Fox is trying to charge TW about 3-4 times as much as they charge other rebroadcasters.

btw....0330 here in DFW and Fox broadcast is still on.

[MarkL]

According to TWC’s site, “rolloverorgettough,” the following are “being held hostage” (at least in my zip-code)

* Food Network
* Fox Reality Channel
* Fox Soccer Channel
* Fox Sports Net Midwest
* Fox Sports World Espanol
* Fuel
* FX
* Great American Country
* Speed Channel

I suspect that all the non-Fox channels are negotiating with TWC as well.

They did announce an extension for FOX & Great American Country. I can’t say anything about the others, since I don’t subscribe (except FoodTV, but I haven’t had a chance to check yet).

Mark

[Poser]

False alarm here. The Fox channels were moved from the odd location they were in to even odder channels.

Our local Fox channel 25 was moved from lo-res channel 2 to lo-res channel 6 (which used to be channel 6 in Portland, Maine now channel 2 where Fox 25 was)

The HD version was moved from 725(where it made sense) to 712 which makes no sense at all.

[A CA Guy]

If Time Warner throws their commercials in, then they owe Fox.
If Fox ONLY has their commercials going on cable thereby growing their audience, they IMO shouldn't even be getting the 30 cents.

[marajade]

the only real diff bet directv and dish is you can sunday ticket on directv