Andre Yoskowitz
6 Aug 2013 10:17
Yesterday, Time Warner Cable offered a proposal to end their ongoing retransmission fee dispute with CBS and bring the broadcaster's channels back to their subscribers.
CBS has blacked out the channel, along with Showtime and online access to streaming episodes for 5 days in NYC, LA, and other large markets.
Time Warner's proposal was to offer the channels back to customers on an "a la carte" basis, offering CBS as a standalone option for cable subscribers who want it. Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt says the arrangement would "allow customers to decide for themselves how much value they ascribe to CBS programming." The statement clearly shows that Time Warner Cable places little to no value on CBS, at least not at the prices CBS wants for fees.
CBS was not happy with the proposal, calling it a sham. "Today's so-called proposal is a sham, a public relations vehicle designed to distract from the fact that Time Warner Cable is not negotiating in good faith. Anyone familiar with the entertainment business knows that the economics and structure of the cable industry doesn't work that way and isn't likely to for quite some time. In short, this was an empty gesture from a company that is expert at them."
This war will likely not end until football season begins soon and then Time Warner Cable will pay whatever they need to get the programming back.