Time Warner Cable, stuck in a dispute over fees with Sinclair Broadcast Group, says it will continue to provide network programming to viewers even if Sinclair pulls its stations off the cable system.
Time Warner's end run around Sinclair late Thursday is the latest twist in a long-running struggle between TV broadcasters and the cable and satellite operators that carry their signals into customers' homes.
As of midday Friday, Sinclair still didn't have a deal to carry its channels on Time Warner Cable Inc. and Bright House Networks. Previous contracts were set to expire at midnight.
The dispute had threatened to prevent cable customers in Sinclair markets around the country from seeing Saturday's Outback Bowl between Penn State and Florida. Time Warner has about 4 million customers who get local broadcast stations owned by Sinclair.
Time Warner spokeswoman Maureen Huff said the companies were still negotiating Friday afternoon, but that the cable company would import broadcast signals from other cities to replace Sinclair stations so local customers wouldn't miss their network programming from NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.
Time Warner has been doing that in upstate New York because of a similar dispute with Smith Media. Viewers get the network evening shows but see out-of-market local newscasts and syndicated fare.
Huff said even if the dispute with Sinclair drags on, Time Warner customers in Sinclair cities would still see all NFL playoff games, the Super Bowl and "most if not all" would see the full assortment of college football bowls.
Sinclair did not immediately return messages Friday seeking comment.
Without an agreement, Hunt Valley, Md.-based Sinclair planned to pull its signals from Time Warner and Bright House cable systems. Sinclair owns 33 stations carried by Time Warner around the country, and others in the South ? though not many network affiliates ? carried on Bright House.
Bright House spokeswoman Kimberly Maki held out hope the company could get an extension from Sinclair while negotiations continue. "It happens all the time," she said.
Joe Smith, who operates Sinclair's ABC station in Pensacola, Fla., was worried that University of Florida fans in his area wouldn't be able to see their team play in the Outback Bowl, to be broadcast on ABC and carried on Bright House cable.
"It is quite possible we will be off out there on game day," he said.
Montey Chapel and his sons in Cantonment, Fla., planned to camp out in front of their new flat-screen television and enjoy a daylong feast of football on New Year's Day.
"Six hours, 12 hours ? as long as they last, we will be watching," Chapel said. But they might miss the one game they were most anticipating ? between Florida and Penn State ? if Sinclair and Time Warner couldn't settle their dispute.
For cable customers like Chapel, the only way to see every game might be to go old-school and pull in the signals of local TV stations using an antenna. They'll also need a digital TV or converter box. But these days, most Americans get broadcast channels through subscription services such as cable or satellite TV.
Disputes between broadcasters and the cable and satellite operators are cropping up more often.
Broadcast companies used to let cable providers carry their channels for free while making their money selling advertising time. But the recession caused some advertisers to cut spending, and the broadcasters are trying to charge cable operators higher fees to carry their programming.
In some cases, cable companies have resisted the broadcasters' demands, leaving TV viewers caught in the crossfire. Earlier this year, Cablevision Systems Corp. customers went without Fox programming for 15 days and missed two World Series games.
One of the longest blackouts occurred in 2005, when about 75,000 cable customers in Texas, Missouri and Louisiana went without local NBC and ABC affiliate programming for nearly the entire year because of an impasse between the stations' owner, Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc., and cable systems.
Broadcasters were long believed to hold the upper hand in negotiating fees with cable and satellite providers because blacked-out customers usually called the cable company to complain. The cable and satellite operators have appealed for help from federal regulators.
In October, Cablevision Systems Corp. asked the Federal Communications Commission to force Fox stations to keep providing programming while Cablevision sought arbitration to settle a dispute over fees. The FCC declined to get involved, and Cablevision wound up swallowing Fox's terms.
Heading into the New Year's holiday, some Florida football fans were making backup plans in case they couldn't watch their favorite team at home.
Back in Cantonment, Jennifer Stokes adorned her SUV with a Florida Gators front license plate. The Bright House subscriber said she and her family and friends refuse to miss the Outback Bowl.
"We will just go somewhere else and watch it," she said. "It's a big deal."
Time Warner shares rose 4 cents to $66.15 in late afternoon trading, while Sinclair shares added 20 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $8.33.
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Nelson reported from Cantonment, Fla., Koenig from Dallas. AP Writer Kantele Franko in Columbus contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=132526751&ft=1&f=
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