Silence, Darkness Reign in CBS-Time Warner Cable Retrans Disconnect

By Jon Lafayette
published

With 13 of its stations and cable networks, including Showtime, off of Time Warner Cable systems since Friday afternoon, CBS says there have been no negotiations between the parties over the weekend.

"There are no negotiations taking place at this time between CBS and Time Warner Cable," CBS said in a statement. "Before the deadline on Friday we asked TWC to continue the negotiation while our programming was still on the air in consideration for our viewers. They rejected this request and told us that they'd have more leverage against us if they took us off their service. This is hardly a sign that they care about their customers as they claim. We remain ready to negotiate in good faith when they are."

"We regret the inconvenience to our customers (and their viewers) and look forward to resolving the situation as soon as possible," Time Warner Cable said in a statement. 

Jon Lafayette
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.