Time Warner, News Corp. Work Things Out

After threatening to pull its stations—and programs like the Sugar Bowl and American Idol— from Time Warner cable systems at the stroke of New Year's and then remaining on air while it extended talks, News Corp. has come to an agreement with Time Warner Cable over subscriber fees. However, neither side would disclose the terms of the agreement.

The NY Times reports:

In tense negotiations with Time Warner Cable, Fox had demanded about a dollar a subscriber per month, far more than other stations have received. Time Warner Cable thought 30 cents was more reasonable, said people briefed on the talks who insisted on anonymity because the specifics of the talks were confidential.

Most likely, the two companies reached a compromise on the price, but both refused to comment Friday on the figure.

News Corp.'s deputy chairman Chase Carey said, "We're pleased that, after months of negotiations, we were able to reach a fair agreement with Time Warner Cable -- one that recognizes the value of our programming," while Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt said, "We're happy to have reached a reasonable deal with no disruption in programming for our customers." Hmm—wonder if TWC customers will be seeing a rate hike in the future!