Network Wants Time Warner Cable To Share Distribution Wealth
WealthTV Files FCC Complaint Over Operator’s Carriage Of Mojo
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 12/21/2007 9:00:00 AM EST
WealthTV filed a carriage agreement complaint against Time Warner Cable at the Federal Communications Commission, alleging that the operator unlawfully discriminated against it in favor of In Demand’s Mojo service.
The complaint, filed with the FCC Dec. 20, maintains that the nation’s second-largest cable operator unlawfully discriminated against Wealth TV by refusing to carry the independent programmer or negotiate in good faith for distribution while it carries the affiliated Mojo, which is similar in content and also targets affluent males 25 to 49.
In Demand and Mojo are owned by Comcast In Demand Holdings, Inc. Cox Communications Holdings, Inc. and Time Warner Entertainment-Advance/Newhouse Parternship.
“Just as alleged in the complaint, TWC jawboned us while they studied our channel so they could copy it,” said Wealth TV CEO Robert Herring, Sr. in a statement. “Once they saw its success, they stole our idea and created an inferior knock-off, MOJO, and launched that instead of WealthTV. It’s more lucrative for them to carry their own channel than to give us a fair chance to reach the public.”
Time Warner Cable officials declined comment.
Officials at WealthTV, which claims it has carriage contracts with over 75 video distributors from Verizon FiOS TV to Charter Communications, said the company filed its complaint after it became clear that Time Warner Cable intended to favor its own programming over independent programming and refused to negotiate in good faith.
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