Cox Subs Dark in Six Raycom Markets

Eight Raycom-owned stations in six markets are dark for Cox
cable subscribers, as Raycom and Cox have failed to reach a retransmission
agreement. The markets are Baton Rouge, Tucson, Cleveland, Lake Charles (La.),
and small slices of Richmond and Panama City.

Paul McTear, Raycom president and CEO, says it's Raycom's
first retrans blackout in the 15-year company history.

"We've signed up 180-plus cable, satellite and
telephone company operators in the last 18 months," said McTear,
"including several that are many times larger than Cox."

"Raycom is withholding their programming because Cox won't give them a price increase that's more than 200% higher than what we already pay them for programming that is available for free over the air," said Cox in a statement. "We are actively negotiating to get the channels back at a reasonable price."

McTear said negotiations have been ongoing since October.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.