ABC 7, Cablevision Talks Deadline At Midnight

Oscar statues getting ready for tomorrow (Photo:AP)

Disney and Cablevision still haven't come to an agreement about the fate of WABC 7. The two have been publicly sparring about fees: Disney, which owns WABC 7, wants $40 million to carry the local network from Cablevision. But the cable company is balking, so Disney says it will pull WABC 7 programming from three million Cablevision homes and businesses at midnight tonight!*

Cablevision has argued that it already pays Disney over $200 million in fees, but Disney says that those fees are for the Disney channel and ESPN, not WABC 7, pointing out that Cablevision charges customers $18/month for basic broadcast. Cablevision also notes that Disney is giving away ABC programming for free over the air and on its website.

The two sides have been blaming each other: WABC 7 general manager Rebecca Campbell said, "We can no longer sit back and allow Cablevision to use our shows for free while they continue to charge their customers for them... If Cablevision CEO James Dolan and the Dolan family dynasty have any regard at all for the millions of customers who pay hard-earned dollars for their service, they will order their troops to stop slinging mud and start cutting a deal," while Cablevision EVP of communications Charles Schueler said, "There is one man who is going to decide whether New York gets to see the Oscars, and that's Disney President and CEO Bob Iger. We call on Bob Iger to stop holding his own viewers hostage, end his threats to pull the plug on ABC at midnight and instead work with us to reach a fair agreement."

As for the *, the Media Decoder explains that Disney's threat to leave Cablevision customers without the Oscars tomorrow night comes with a "big caveat here: Disputes like this one usually come down to the wire, and programming is rarely interrupted. It is possible that the two parties will keep talking after midnight, and decide to extend their self-imposed deadline." In the meantime, WABC 7 has tips for Cablevision subscribers to get ABC programming—you may want to get an antenna!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 6, 2010 7:37 PM

Comments [rss]

breauxlg

Although I hate the cable company for a variety of reasons, they are charging to provide access to network programming - not for the programming itself. ABC sells ads to pay for the programming. They should be paying cable for what is in effect, a free antennae service to pump their crap into the home of every subscriber. If you agree, you can call Charissa Gilmore at ABC programming (818) 460-7950 and complain.

ronshapley

Cable is a rip-off... Over charged for crap programming... Who needs it ?? Have you ever heard of an antennae ?? and..........It's FREE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Much ado about absolutely NOTHING !!

hoursuntilmorning

according to this article...:

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1539048.php/ABC-goes-dark-Saturday-night-on-New-York-area-Cablevision

...it apparently went like this:

-ABC cuts off its regularly scheduled programming for Cablevision customers and puts an anti-Cablevision message in its place.

-Cablevision goes to cut off the feed to block that message & puts up an anti-ABC message in its place--and, somehow, in the process, accidentally cuts off the broadcast of NBC, CBS, etc.

too bad I was DVRing SNL. there's ten minutes of it at least that's lost from the recording...

Ishtar

Someone dad a little too much to drink tonight.

Ishtar

dad=had

DanielJ

Quip fail.

jackie

RATES SHOULD BE DROPPING NOT INCREASING YOU ALL NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially with all the RE-RUNS.

WE SHOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR THAT EITHER.

The fact that BOTH of you Took this Public is INSANE. Makes you both look like GREEDY FOOLS.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE ECONOMY GROW UP AND WORK IT OUT.

jackie

Dear Both ABC & Cablevision:

First and foremost I would like to say I am a Cablevision customer.... Wait this is NOT by choice. Verizon is constantly ripping people off, Increasing fees(wait cablevision increases fees constantly too)...Verizon is just worse. AT&T is just as corrupt as Verizon, and DirectTV nor Dish network will not work in my area, too many trees, to much wind & too much interference from all the various military bases. So I am basically a Cablevision Hostage.

However NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO DEMAND annual rate increases! EITHER OF YOU.

WABC-TV Please do not to take my 7 channel off Cablevision off the air.

Cablevision MUST negotiate a deal that is fair for everyone!

In these difficult and challenging economic times, it is not fair for ABC to force Cablevision and its customers to pay what amounts to a new TV tax for the same programming that is available today for free over the air and on the Internet. With that said ABC Verizon BETTER BE PAYING THE SAME AMOUNTS YOU ARE REQUESTING CABLEVISION TO PAY> IF NOT YOU NEED TO MAKE THEM ALL A FAIR PRICE ACROSS THE BOARD. Besides I can always wait and watch for Free over the Internet. You stated yourself you will loose approx 47% of your viewers if this happens. I hate to tell you, but you are cutting your nose to spite your face. Without Cablevision Disney will go Bankrupt. You will NOT be able to sustain with almost 50% of your business gone. Especially cause Disney parks are doing so bad, and ESPN sports also. ONLY CAUSE AGAIN CABLEVISION CHARGES FOR IT.

Cablevision YOU ARE INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE RATES YOU CHARGE ARE ALREADY ASTRONOMICAL, Not to mention I usually watch channels'; 2-11, then TLC, Travel Channel, Food Network, HGTV or HBO. You are already had a problem with Scripts!!!!!!!!

IF I LOOSE 7 I will pay you LESS not more. as you serve me NO Purpose as the only station I watch have been pulled.

I am Sick over all the TV stations Raising the Rates in a Economic Crisis. YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES....

RATES SHOULD BE DROPPING NOT INCREASING YOU ALL NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially with all the RE-RUNS.

WE SHOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR THAT EITHER.

The fact that BOTH of you Took this Public is INSANE. Makes you both look like GREEDY FOOLS.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE ECONOMY GROW UP AND WORK IT OUT.

AGAIN LOST, Grey's Anatomy, Wheel of Fortune, Desperate Housewives, General Hospital, Regis and Kelly,The Oprah Winfrey Show and Eyewitness News. Are my shows.... I don't need TV if they are not on.

CHANNEL 7, IF I CANT WATCH YOU HAVE NO RATINGS

BOTH OF YOU NEED continue to work with Cablevision to reach a fair agreement.

BOTH OF YOU NEED TO STOP WASTING MONEY ON ADDS FOR THIS FIGHT AS WELL WAIT I FOUND MONEY FROM BOTH SIDES FIND MILLIONS IN ADVERTISING SPACE...................

GET OVER YOURSELVES AND FIX IT..PERIOD

Ill get rid of both of, cause if I have to change services to watch TV I will BOYCOTT Channel 7 and all of it affiliates as well, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM OWN IT.

PAYING CUSTOMER TO BOTH YOU

mellow_fellow

tl;dr

Stevennnn

No problems with FiOS.

americaonline

youre both idiots. the tv signal drama was for people who havent bought a tv in the last 15 years.

jibbly

FUCKERS, not only did they pull ABC, they pulled ALL THE NETWORK CHANNELS at 12AM. I was in the middle of watching SNL and suddenly NBC goes out. Surfing around suddenly I realize 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11 are all out while everything else is working.

I actually dug out my ancient antenna from 1992. FUCK Cablevision, auuuugh.

Ishtar

The other network channels are still working. I'm still watching SNL and I have cablevision and an ancient tube television.

jibbly

NOW it's working with an "Blame ABC" infomercial on channel 7 sort of like when they pulled Food Network earlier.

Good lord.

schadenfreudian mensch

Good luck in getting your ancient antenna to work. Apparently you didn't get the memo that all the tv signals gone digital. The only thing your going to pick up with that antenna is a lot of static.

http://gothamist.com/2009/06/12/get_ready_for_digital_tv_conversion.php

longacre

I hate to say it, but I side with Cablevision on this one.

If Cablevision caves and starts paying ABC, they'll have to do the same with CBS, NBC and the other local channels, and these channels will demand every cable company pay them. That means higher rates for every cable subscriber, even if they never watch these channels.

Why? Because the advertising-only revenue model does not pay very well anymore: Local channels want to get paid from both ends, the same way very profitable channels like ESPN do.

longacre

As long as your TV has a digital tuner, and most newer ones do, your antenna should work.

jibbly

It's actually working. I guess my new plasma has a tuner built in. Picture looks just as good as cable if not better. Maybe I should finally consider canceling my service.