UPDATE: WABC 7 Still Off Cablevision During Dispute

The message from WABC 7 at midnight

[UPDATE below] After failing to come to an agreement over fees, Disney took WABC 7 off of Cablevision last night, leaving 3.1 million customers without ABC programming—including tonight's big Oscars telecast. The Daily News reports that, for Cablevision subscribers watching a repeat of Lost, the screen went blank and then this message appeared, "Cablevision has betrayed you again. First HGTV and Food Network, now you lost ABC-7. Enough is enough! Go to saveABC7.com to switch your service now," before going back to blank.

Some readers noticed that they lost channels 2, 4, 5, 9, and 11 for 15 minutes—it turns out that Cablevision when Cablevision was blocking WABC 7's message, it accidentally kicked off other networks. Variety (subscription required) reports that Cablevision's counter message on channel 7 read:

ABC has pulled WABC-7. Cablevision pays ABC's parent company over $200 million per year. The price you pay for TV matters. ABC is demanding $40 million more per year. We wanted to keep WABC-7 on the air. Pulling WABC off Cablevision was wrong. And we're not the only ones to think so.

We are working hard to get WABC back on the air. ABC has rejected our offers. We have agreements with CBS, NBC, Fox and Univision. We apologize for their actions. Call 1-877-NO-TV-TAX. Watch WABC-7 free over the air with a digital antenna. View ABC programming at Hulu.com or ABC.com. Thank You.

Disney, ABC 7's parent company, argues that the $200 million it receives from Cablevision is for cable channels like Disney and ESPN; Cablevision points out how ABC programming is available for free with antennas or online.

Update: According to Newsday (subscription required; also Newsday's parent company is Cablevision), WABC 7 general manager Rebecca Campbell said, "Basically, our door remains open to reach a fair and equable agreement. We talked yesterday and my understanding is that the ball is in their court." Cablevision did not get back to Newsday for comment.

And Senator John Kerry, who heads the Senate telecommunications subcomittee, wants the signal back on. He issued a letter stating:

When pulling a signal becomes the nuclear option in negotiation, it inflicts collateral damage on consumers who pay their bills and have done nothing wrong. Someone needs to be speaking up for them in this dispute and those like them, and make no mistake, this is the latest example of consumers getting caught in the middle because the high stakes incentives created in these negotiations are not working for the average customer who just expects their programming to be there when they want it.

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

By Jen Chung in News on March 7, 2010 2:41 PM

Comments [rss]

longacre

A deal has been reached, ABC is back.

inoyourider

They're both big messes.

babyhitler

If you wanted to stick it to ABC how would you do that anyway? You can cancel Cablevison but ABC gives that shit away for free.

nycraf

This just in, Isiah Thomas to become VP for Operations for Cablevision.

Guest

ridiculous monopolizing... jacking up prices while not paying more for their networks...

to cablevision: karma's a bitch. deal with it.

1stephanie

Ha, I see that the Academy Awards are showing at the Chelsea Clearview. Cablevision owns Clearview Cinemas. Way to cash in!

JacqueMehoff

I'm surprised no one blinked, are they going to use the Oscars as the tipping point?

I've worked for Disney though not directly and they are tightwads.

John Clavis

Gee, I don't know which customer-screwing, Congress-manipulating megaconglomerate to root for.

Corporations rule!

S.D.

If the customers really want it, they they need to find out if they can switch to someone else other than Cablevision.

Mollygizer

In many parts of Brooklyn, Cablevision is the only non-dish provider. It's a bum situation.

socgrrrl

cablevision is the 5th largest cable company in the U.S. their profits in the last quarter in 2009 were $78.3 million and their current quarterly profits are $2.14 billion. C-vision continues to increase the cost of their channel lineup, yet won't pay up to abc (disney). it's ridiculous. cablevision is the only provider in my part of brooklyn, so i don't really have any other choice (i don't want dish). i have basic cable at $15/mo. b/c that's all c-vision deserves. they're greedy f*ckers.

babyhitler

well I would have sided with cablevision if they hadn't set precedent by giving in to Fox with the 1 a subscriber thing. And since cablevision is owned by the Dolans who don't give a fucking crap about MSG or the Knicks or the Rangers then I say fuck cablevision to hell. I hope they choke and financially die til they have to sell their properties to some entity that at least will make an effort.

spnder

the problem is, there's not competition for my business. Where I am it's Cablevision or DirectTV. Cablevision is already so shitty as it is, I would gladly switch to TimeWarner or Verizon if I could.

HBHB

There goes that news van again...

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

please call cablevision and ask them to stop supporting elephant cruelty. they should not permit ringling brothers in Madison Square Garden.

youngpro

i see youre still on topic as always.

Nicole Marie

Who cares? ABC doesn't provide any interesting programming, none that I can't watch on their website or from some other source website. Stay off the air ABC, for all I care.

Spirit of 76

Uh, WABC is still on the air. They're just not on Cablevision. Time Warner, Verizion FiOS, Dish Network and DirecTV customers all still get WABC, as does anyone in the Tristate area with an antenna.

Now if you want to elicit a "meh" reaction from viewers, dump WNBC. Pretty much nobody around here would miss Leno and not many more would miss NBC's other shows. There's a reason NBC is is fourth place and sinking fast. Right after the Olympics ended, NBC dropped right back into its comfortable fourth place. At this rate, it may not be long before even WPIX beats WNBC.

Phil

Those of us on Cablevision continue to pay the same freight with or without ABC. A pox on both houses.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Celebrity Apprentice is on tonight anyhow.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

ABC sucks to cut off services on the day of the oscars, not that I watch that shit but that still sucks for those customers.