"There’s a
real limit to what the FCC can do," one
analyst told the wire service. "It would be
extraordinary for them to order Fox to put
programming back on."
Saying that Fox has refused to compromise on its demands, Cablevision has urged the FCC to order a third-party, binding arbitration to resolve the matter. But the analysts tell Bloomberg that they don't believe the law would permit the FCC to order arbitration.
The FCC refused to comment yesterday, writes Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, despite calls for arbitration from dozens of congressmen, Congress is unlikely to act because it's currently not in session.
The continuing dispute also threatens to deny Dish Network viewers access to Fox programming by week's end. If Dish does not sign a new pact with Fox by November 1, it will lose the right to carry Fox's local stations. (Dish has already been without Fox's 19 regional sports channels, FX and the National Geographic Channel since October 1 in a different contract dispute.)
Saying that Fox has refused to compromise on its demands, Cablevision has urged the FCC to order a third-party, binding arbitration to resolve the matter. But the analysts tell Bloomberg that they don't believe the law would permit the FCC to order arbitration.
The FCC refused to comment yesterday, writes Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, despite calls for arbitration from dozens of congressmen, Congress is unlikely to act because it's currently not in session.
The continuing dispute also threatens to deny Dish Network viewers access to Fox programming by week's end. If Dish does not sign a new pact with Fox by November 1, it will lose the right to carry Fox's local stations. (Dish has already been without Fox's 19 regional sports channels, FX and the National Geographic Channel since October 1 in a different contract dispute.)
“I’m sure
Dish is looking to see if Cablevision can
get the government to intervene for them,”
Kaufman Bros analyst Todd Mitchell told
Bloomberg. “But, Fox has said they’re
willing to go dark if they don’t get what
they want. With or without government
intervention, Fox is most likely going to
take the same hard line with Dish.”
Fox's coverage of game one of the World
Series starts Wednesday night.