By Laura Cooper
A
n estimated 3 million Cablevision customers are currently without Fox network programming including the channels Fox 5 and My9, after the two parties failed to reach an agreement on how much Cablevision would pay to keep Fox programing.
The lapse in Fox programming is due to a new contract with Cablevision in which the News Corporation has asked for $150 million to renew its contract with the cable provider, more than double the $70 million Cablevision paid last year, according to a statement from Cablevision.
Fox channels were pulled from the airwaves on October 15, when the old deal expired. It remains off the air and after a breakdown in negotiations between the two groups, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy issued a press release calling on Cablevision and Fox Networks to “remain engaged in serious, round-the-clock negotiations to end the impasse.”
The loss of Fox means Cablevision customers have been unable to watch the Major League Baseball playoffs, New York Giants football games and programming such as “Glee” and “Bones.” The Fox 5 network is also well known for being the home of the popular show, “American Idol.”
Though the two groups are in continued talks, no agreement had been reached by Tuesday afternoon.
According to a statement released by Charles Schueler, Cablevision’s executive vice president of communications, Cablevision asked Fox, a division of the News Corporation, to keep its programming on the air during negotiations, but it refused to do so.
“When broadcasters like News Corporation remove their signals, they hurt viewers in an attempt to gain business leverage,” said Mr. Schueler in a statement. “Cablevision agrees to submit to binding arbitration as called for by more than 50 elected officials from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as the fastest and fairest way to return Fox programming to Cablevision viewers. We call on News Corporation to do the same.
Calls placed to News Corporation were not immediately returned.
Laura Cooper on Oct 19, 2010