LIN, TWC Work Out Retrans Deal

Time Warner Cable and LIN TV have come to terms on retransmission consent rights after a

four week-long battle that saw the LIN signal go dark for TWC subscribers

in several markets. The agreement immediately brings LIN programming back to 12 stations and 1.5 million subscribers.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed at presstime.

“We are pleased to have reached a fair market agreement with Time Warner Cable,” said LIN TV President and CEO Vincent L. Sadusky in a statement. “This agreement, which represents a mutually acceptable economic agreement between the parties, is further indication of the value of our television stations. We thank our viewers and our advertisers for their tremendous support throughout these negotiations.”

“We are pleased to come to an agreement that will return programming to our customers,” said TWC Chief Programming Officer Melinda Witmer. “We thank our customers for their continued patience and support as we worked to resolve this issue.”

The LIN signal went dark when its contract with TWC expired Oct. 2. The affected markets include Austin, Buffalo and Columbus.

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.