CBS, Cablevision Make New Carriage Deal

CBS and Cablevision Systems said they reached a new
agreement covering retransmission and carriage fees for CBS' broadcast and
cable channels.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The agreement comes at a time when carriage negotiations
between programmers and distributors have become more contentious. But CBS has
managed to quietly complete new deals with several carriers. CBS announced anew carriage deal with AT&T earlier this week.

The companies said the new agreement includes WCBS-TV, the
CBS owned station in New York area, as well as Showtime, Smithsonian Channel
and CBS Sports Network. In addition to Cablevision customers in the New York
area, customers in the Philadelphia and Denver market are also covered.

"Cablevision is a cornerstone partner in our flagship
market. By recognizing the value of our content, this agreement assures the
audiences we share with Cablevision will continue to be able to enjoy
programming ranging from The Big Bang
Theory
to NCIS, 60 Minutes to the NFL, Homeland to Dexter, to Smithsonian Channel's award-winning programs and Jim
Rome," Martin Franks, executive VP for planning, policy and government relations
at CBS Corp., said in a statement.

"This
broad agreement will ensure that Cablevision customers will continue to have
access to the CBS programming they already enjoy, across a range of networks,
as well as new services Cablevision will launch in the coming months, including
Showtime Anytime and CBS primetime shows on demand," said Mac Budill,
Cablevision's executive VP of programming.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.