CBS in Contract Showdown With Time Warner Cable

In the latest showdown between a broadcaster and a cable system,CBS has initiated an ad campaign to try to pressure Time Warner Cable to make a deal on fees for three of its major stations, with the implied threat that Time Warner subscribers in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas will otherwise lose access to CBS shows, starting next week.

That would mean that viewers in those cities involved in such ongoing summer shows as “Under the Dome” and “Big Brother” would not be able to see them if they were subscribers to Time Warner Cable. In addition, the CBS-owned cable network Showtime would probably also go off the air on the systems in those cities, leaving fans of shows like “Ray Donovan” without a way to see the initial showing of new episodes.

CBS executives charged that Time Warner Cable has refused its request to extend the current contract between the parties, precipitating the confrontation. The contract ended in June, and the two sides did agree to an extension that will end next Wednesday. None of the financial terms of the dispute have been disclosed.
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