CBS and Time Warner Cable are continuing negotiations on a
carriage renewal pact, encompassing retransmission-consent for the programmer's
owned-and-operated stations as well as a trio of cable services.
The
parties' pact expired at the end of June, but CBS indicates it has granted
Time Warner Cable a short extension. A spokesman for the programmer would not
disclose the length of the extension.
At this time, there has been no disruption in service with
TWC continuing to air CBS's O&Os in its footprint, including WCBS-TV New
York, KCBS-TV Los Angeles and KTVT-TV in Dallas-Ft. Worth, plus CBS Sports
Network, Smithsonian Channel and premium service, Showtime, which last night
premiered new original series Ray Donovan and the eighth and final
campaign of Dexter, the serial-killer show that is its top skein. It is
unclear whether TVGN, the former TV Guide Network, is part of the ongoing
discussion. CBS acquired a 50% stake in the cable network, jointly owned by
Lionsgate, in March.
In other retrans news, Time Warner Cable and Journal
Broadcast Group on Friday
extended their retrans deal covering six stations until July 10. For its
part, Media
General has granted Dish Network a 90-day extension, so the sides could
continue to negotiate a new deal covering stations' transmittals in 17 markets.
As was the case with TWC and CBS, the other
pacts also expired at midnight on June 30.
