“We are very grateful to our customers for their support and pleased to welcome ABC back," Cablevision said in a statement released last night.

Disney issued a statement saying the agreement "recognizes the fair value of ABC7.”


Swanni's Take:
Consumers are getting sick of these battles between billionaires; their favorite channels are constantly in peril of being taken off the air because extremely wealthy people (on both sides) are trying to squeeze out a few extra pennies.

The solution?

Force TV programmers and TV providers to enter a baseball-style arbitration if they can not reach an agreement one week prior to the end of a carriage agreement.

The arbitrator would determine how much the TV provider should pay for the programmer's channel after hearing arguments from both sides. And the channels would stay on the air until the arbitrator's decision is handed down.

I believe this is something the FCC and the Obama administration can order under existing federal law. But if it looks like the policy would be challenged in court, Congress could pass specific legislation to give it a legal boost.

Failure to implement a baseball-style arbitration at this time will only lead to more carriage battles in 2010 -- and more times when consumers lose their favorite channels.

This is unacceptable.

Also see:
Consumer Reports: 'Best Buys' For HDTVs

10 Best-Selling Blu-ray Movies!

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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