Washington, D.C.
(January 31, 2007)
-- Nearly 200,000 Cox Cable subscribers in New Orleans
may be unable to watch Sunday's Super Bowl in
High-Definition TV.
WWL-TV, the New Orleans area CBS affiliate, is threatening to force Cox to take its high-def -- and standard definition -- channels off the air because the two companies can not reach a carriage agreement.
Under federal law, TV providers can not carry a local station's signal without its permission.
WWL, which is owned by Belo Corp., may order Cox to pull the channels as early as midnight when the current carriage agreement ends, according to the Associated Press.
If it does, Cox subscribers would not be able to watch the Super Bowl in either HD or standard definition unless they switch TV providers and/or purchase an off-air antenna. Many cable subscribers, however, are unable to receive satellite signals -- and many high-def viewers own sets that don't have HD tuners inside, which are necessary to work with an off-air antenna.
In short, cable may be their only option to watch the big game. CBS will broadcast the game this Sunday.
WWL-TV, the New Orleans area CBS affiliate, is threatening to force Cox to take its high-def -- and standard definition -- channels off the air because the two companies can not reach a carriage agreement.
Under federal law, TV providers can not carry a local station's signal without its permission.
WWL, which is owned by Belo Corp., may order Cox to pull the channels as early as midnight when the current carriage agreement ends, according to the Associated Press.
If it does, Cox subscribers would not be able to watch the Super Bowl in either HD or standard definition unless they switch TV providers and/or purchase an off-air antenna. Many cable subscribers, however, are unable to receive satellite signals -- and many high-def viewers own sets that don't have HD tuners inside, which are necessary to work with an off-air antenna.
In short, cable may be their only option to watch the big game. CBS will broadcast the game this Sunday.
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In the past, local stations and cable operators have reached agreement on carriage of analog channels usually by exchanging promotional considerations.
However, many local stations, including those owned by companies such as Belo, are now demanding fees from cable ops to carry their high-def channels. In several cities, cable operators have refused the request, which has led to the local stations forcing the cable operators to remove the HD channels from their lineups.
A dispute between Sinclair Broadcasting and Mediacom Cable has grown so heated that the Iowa state legislature is threatening action and the FCC's Media Bureau has recommended a binding arbitration in the matter.
Cox told the AP late today that negotiations are continuing with Belo over the right to carry WWL's programming.
At its web site, Cox said today that the station wants "exorbitant fees for a television channel that is otherwise available for free."
The cable operator says the fees would force it to raise programming rates.
WWL general manger Bud Brown told AP that they are asking for less than one cent per Cox subscriber each month.
"I don't think it's unfair or unrealistic to expect someone who is going to resell your signal to pay you some consideration for that signal," Brown said.
He added that Cox is responsible if it can't show the Super Bowl to their subscribers on Sunday.
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
____________________________________________
In the past, local stations and cable operators have reached agreement on carriage of analog channels usually by exchanging promotional considerations.
However, many local stations, including those owned by companies such as Belo, are now demanding fees from cable ops to carry their high-def channels. In several cities, cable operators have refused the request, which has led to the local stations forcing the cable operators to remove the HD channels from their lineups.
A dispute between Sinclair Broadcasting and Mediacom Cable has grown so heated that the Iowa state legislature is threatening action and the FCC's Media Bureau has recommended a binding arbitration in the matter.
Cox told the AP late today that negotiations are continuing with Belo over the right to carry WWL's programming.
At its web site, Cox said today that the station wants "exorbitant fees for a television channel that is otherwise available for free."
The cable operator says the fees would force it to raise programming rates.
WWL general manger Bud Brown told AP that they are asking for less than one cent per Cox subscriber each month.
"I don't think it's unfair or unrealistic to expect someone who is going to resell your signal to pay you some consideration for that signal," Brown said.
He added that Cox is responsible if it can't show the Super Bowl to their subscribers on Sunday.
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com