Will faux Go Dark?

[babylonsister]

News Corp. Says Deal on Fox Signal Is Unlikely

By BRIAN STELTER
Published: December 30, 2009


The News Corporation said on Wednesday that it looked doubtful that it would sign a new distribution contract with Time Warner Cable by Thursday night, increasing the likelihood that its Fox stations will be removed from cable lineups in millions of homes.

The News Corporation’s president, Chase Carey, declined an offer by Time Warner Cable to enter binding arbitration. The companies are fighting over how much the cable operator should pay Fox stations for the right to retransmit their shows, sporting events and local newscasts. Fox is demanding about a dollar for each cable subscriber each month, which analysts say could set a precedent for broadcasters that want more money from cable and satellite operators.

The contracts expire at midnight Dec. 31. Fox could then take its signal off Time Warner Cable systems in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and other cities.

Time Warner Cable representatives arrived in Los Angeles early this week for the Fox talks, which are part of a renewal deal that also will affect several cable channels, including FX and the Speed Channel.

The companies traded barbs on Wednesday after the cable operator responded to a letter from Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, and offered to extend talks into 2010. Hours later, Mr. Carey said that the News Corporation would not provide an extension because it had been “trying since the summer to negotiate a fair deal.”

“At this time, it looks like we will not reach an agreement, and our channels may very well go off the air in Time Warner Cable systems,” Mr. Carey told employees.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/business/media/31cable.html?_r=1

[Renew Deal]

1. The collective IQ of America will quickly go up after this.

:D

[Joanne98]

2. There is a Gawd!

[MH1]

3. Now this sounds like something to pray for!

[DailyGrind51]

4. Only when Rupert Murdock dies!

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Game of corporate chicken.

Fox/Faux has the option of NOT withdrawing its broadcasting past midnight and continue to negotiate. They have contracts with advertisers to consider and those advertisers would sue if their spots don't run. Plus, Murdoch would not let Time Warner have the upper hand and the last word on this matter. Unless New Corp plans on introducing its own cable operations, it can't tell anyone how much money it will be paid.

[nashville_brook]

24. did someone say corporate chicken?

[AngryOldDem]

6. They'll reach some kind of a deal.

Not saying that it will be exactly at midnight, though. NBC and Time-Warner were in a similar dispute two years ago, and NBC was off my cable system for close to a month before T-W ponied up the cash to restore the signal. T-W, it seems, likes to push media outlets to the point of blackout.

[SpiralHawk]

7. "Mercury is Retrograde." - Ronald Reagan's Dead Republicon Astrologer*

"So while this may be glorious news for America, it just sucks for Republicon Homelanders. Dammit."

- Ronald Reagan's Dead Republicon Astrologer*


* Channeled by SH from the vast netherworld of Republicon occultism.

[WhiteTara]

8. this could be the salvation of the world. n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. It's Not Just Fox News

It's all FOX channels.

That means folks in affected area will miss tomorrow's Bowl Games as well as the final regular NFC games and layoffs. And here in Orlando we will miss Magic games.

Oh well.

[BlueCollar]

14. Fox is being "disingenuous"

Cable is still required to carry "local" broadcast channels in areas where they use the airwaves...so if they carry it as a broadcast you're still entitled to see it and cable will be carrying it...

[Better Today]

22. Hulu works. And it isn't just FOX channels. We had a local CBS

channel go through this last year or maybe the year before with one of the dish companies. It was three months till the station made the deal they wanted. I have only antenna, so it didn't effect me, neither will this. Just thought to share that at least in the NW, this isn't the first time stations have been off the re-transmitters schedules due to contract disputes.

[Bitwit1234]

10. We like for the news to go but

a lot of people like the sports channels and I like "Bones".

[Delphinus]

21. I like Bones & Fringe,

but that's about all I can think of that Fox offers.

[Ian David]

11. Time Warner should play repeats of Keith, Rachel and Ed on all the slots where the Fox channels were

[Motown_Johnny]

12. any way to find out who is negotiating for Time Warner?

I would like to send a thank you card

[sandyj999]

13. I am in one of the areas affected and this is their game.

Then it will be solved and Time Warner will increase our rates again

[newtothegame]

15. I doubt it. Record viewership, record advertising revenue, blah blah blah...

[progressoid]

16. OMG, the world will end with only the Librul media.

Who will speak the truth to Amurica?

[KharmaTrain]

17. Time-Warner Will Cave...

There's a bunch of games going on here.

Faux is testing the waters on behalf of other corporates. They want cable to pay more for ALL of their programming, including the local stations that have been a "must carry"...meaning you paid for Faux Noise and FX but not for the regular Fox network with the Simpsons, Family Guy and NFL. Now they want a buck a household...or else no Superbowl! No 24! It's a power play they hope will force Time Warner to give in...setting the table for future negotiations with Comcast and getting them to cough up more as well. They're also trailblazing for Disney/ABC and Viacom/CBS as well as other broadcast companies who have seen their commercial revenues fall in recent years while cable remains very profitable...and they want a bigger piece of cake.

There's also the games between Murdoch and NBC. If the NBC/Comcast merger is approved, that will give the network a big advantage over the other networks...while Time-Warner owns its own channels, Comcast is far and away the largest cable operator in the country and folks like Murdoch aren't too happy about this.

As is the case with most of these cable games, it usually ends up with the cable company giving in and the extra costs passed on to you...the consumer. Now this could mean passing along not just the $1 from Faux but from every other network as well. Ruper also gains as this could drive some new business to his DirecTV by football starved fans or to his Hulu website for those who need a Family Guy fix.

In the end, a cable company is only as good as the programming they offer. Losing the NFL, MLB as well as some popular series is sure to get the customers restless. Get ready for higher cable bills in the near future. Rupert will win.

[berni_mccoy]

18. You nailed it.

[Jester Messiah]

19. The teabaggers will frenzy if Faux goes dark.

Frenzying is what they do, and they're good at it. That's what Murdoch is counting on.

[ddeclue]

20. WTF is Kerry doing? Doesn't he realize that Faux led the charge to screw him over in 2004?

:crazy:

[eppur_se_muova]

23. Will let some relatives know that if they lose FOX, MSNBC is almost as good! :^D nt