At least some viewers in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas are getting to watch CBS.

CBS Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. on Thursday announced a deal that will gives access to CBS, via the company’s owned stations, as well as the CBS Sports Network to Verizon FiOS’ 3.5 million customers in Verizon markets where CBS owns television stations. CBS and Verizon have an existing agreement that allows FiOS to carry Showtime Networks and Smithsonian that also will continue for years.

Meanwhile, CBS remains embroiled in a retransmission-consent dispute with Time Warner Cable that has kept TWC customers in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and four other markets from being able to watch CBS or Showtime since August 2. The two parties are unable to come to terms over what TWC should pay for the digital rights to air CBS programming, according to several reports. TWC subscribers in New York will have the blackout briefly lifted today, on August 28 and on September 23 so that viewers can watch local debates in the comptroller and the mayoral races, according to Reuters.

A dramatic turning point may come in the stand-off when the Manning brothers face off as the New York Giants, with Eli at quarterback, play the Denver Broncos, with Eli’s older brother, Peyton, at quarterback, at home in New York. The game is scheduled to air on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 15.

In a memo to employees this morning, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves wrote: “Those cities may seem familiar to you as you follow our situation with Time Warner Cable. They cover almost precisely the same territory, but Verizon has more subscribers in those markets, where we are now blacked out by that cable company for going on three full weeks now. You should know that Time Warner Cable has been offered almost exactly the same deal for CBS carriage to which Verizon has agreed.

“I cannot describe to you the frustration I feel at the way these negotiations have gone. Never in my most pessimistic moments did I ever think that they would have lasted this long and have been so difficult. In many aspects of the deal, Time Warner Cable is demanding different terms than any other company in the business. I am frankly mystified by what appears to be a lack of urgency to resolve this matter for their customers.”

Cable customers in Los Angeles already have sued TWC over the loss of CBS’ channels, according to Variety.

Brief Take: CBS’ deal with Verizon comes at a bad time for TWC, with CBS using it as an opportunity to make TWC look bad to its customers.

Tags:


  Save as PDF