Clock stops for Fox, Time Warner: Talk past deadline without pulling plug

NY Post ^ | January 1, 2010 | GEORGETT ROBERTS, PETER LAURIA and LEONARD GREENE

[Scanian]

Fox programs were still playing on Time Warner cable early this morning -- a hopeful sign that the media giants would strike a deal.

Carmen Electra and "American Idol" singers Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta -- stars of Fox's New Year's Eve show -- rocked past the midnight deadline on local Time Warner Channel 5 with no interruption, as negotiators worked into the early hours of 2010.

"We're still negotiating and going to give it a little more time," said Scott Grogin, senior vice president of communications for the Fox Networks Group.

Harriet Novet, regional vice president for Time Warner's New York City region, added: "We received a brief extension as negotiations continue."

[malkee]

They’re afraid to pull the plug.

[poobear]

Just talked to Bright House Customer Service. Told her they are killing the goose that comes up with the monthly egg. She said she never had it put that way. Told her, enough of us WILL make a difference.

She was black. Ban me OK PC Admin Moderators!

[Adder]

I lived without those shows before and can do it again.
Its not like Fox is being ripped off and not being paid anything.

Enough is enough.

[Phillipian]

Fox should have the freedom to charge what it wants for its product. Maintaining the huge quality advantage over the other networks comes with a cost. Time Warner also should have the freedom to let them walk.

They will work it out at some point though.

[Tzfat]

Time Warner has the freedom to pass the cost along. I blame them.

[Adder]

Right on both counts.

And I choose to side with TWC and say I don’t want to pay more for these programs.

The only ones I personally would miss is House and football games. And I can buy House in dvd.

Again: its not like Fox is getting nothing for their programs. They were happy with it before but now choose to demand more. As a consumer of their product its my choice to say your programs are not worth more to me.

Like you say, they will work something out. TWC needs their programs but Fox needs TWC too.

[Darth Reardon]

I don't know what they're bickering about, but I'm going to pick up a decent antenna so I know I'll get the Orange Bowl (recorded, I'll be at the game of course). TWC would be insane to pull Fox during the bowls, too many people will find out that the signal on a lot of the over the air stuff is as good if not better than cable. Sure, you probably won't get Fox News and Fox this that and the other thing, but in this economic climate if people realize they can watch HD for the major networks with no cable bill...

BTW, to see what's available in your area www.antennaweb.org

[Voltage]

The best solution..’a la carte’ cable. Then the viewer has the power to decide what each channel is worth to him, rather than having ‘packages’ preselected...most of which are junk.