Scripps, Cablevision Reach Contract Accord
HGTV, Food Return To Operator's Distribution Lineup
Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 1/21/2010 5:02:53 PM
HGTV and Food Network are back on Cablevision's programming menu.
The New York metro area's predominant cable operator and Scripps Networks Interactive have reached an agreement, terms of which were not disclosed, that will return HGTV and Food Network to Cablevision's area.
The networks, pulled by Scripps in a contract dispute with the dawn of the new year, were expected to reappear before Cablevision subscribers by 6 p.m. (ET), according to a spokesman for the MSO.
Scripps spokeswoman Cindy McConkey declined to comment on the deal as did Cablevision spokesman Jim Maiella.
The agreement, which sources said was a multi-year deal, ends what at times had been a contentious negotiating period. Early on in the fight, Food Network president Brooke Johnson said that Cablevision was trying to bully the network into accepting an inferior deal and had refused to come to the negotiating table. Cablevision countered with accusations of price gouging and dismissed the networks as largely unnecessary, claiming only a small percentage of its subscribers even watched the channel.
The two did make a brief return to the negotiating table on Jan. 6, holding a meeting that both side called "constructive."
And like many carriage battles, all was quickly forgiven once a deal was made.
Negotiations however, must have gone up to the last minute -- Scripps announced on Jan. 20 that it would air encore presentations of HGTV's House Hunters and Food's Iron Chef America on Sunday Jan. 24 on New York broadcast station WPIX. That airing is apparently no longer needed.
"This is great news for all those television viewers in the New York tri-state region who enjoy Food Network and HGTV," said John Lansing, executive vice president of Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. and president of the company's Scripps Networks operating division, in a statement. "This is the resolution everyone wanted. Cablevision has been a valued distribution partner and we're gratified that together we were able to reach a successful conclusion that will benefit their customers and viewers of our networks."
"We'd like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we worked with Scripps to reach an agreement that is fair," added John Bickham, Cablevision's president of cable and communications. "Food Network and HGTV have strong and loyal followings and we are pleased that both channels are back where they belong on Cablevision and available to our customers in both standard-definition and free HD."
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WHY WASN'T DIY NETWORK & FLN INCLUDED IN THE NEW DEAL?! BAD FAITH!!
Spencer Conrad Mckiernan - 1/22/2010 3:14:43 PM EST -
Uh, no the taxes are NOT pure profit for FiOS. The thing is they have to bill you for the local cable and phone taxes since the greedy cable providers lobbied against IPTV and Telco provider from getting tax exempt status for their video service, yet the cable providers feel justified in being tax free for their phone services. And these taxes aren't just going to the state and federal level, much of them is going to the LOCAL township level, so when your favorite park has to close, you keep on driving on potholes that never seem to get fixed, or your school district didn't get the grant to build an expansion and hire more teachers to make your children's class size under 30, you can blame the cable companies from using a bs tax exemption in their marketing to lure people away from telco providers. (Basically according to the cable system, telcos that bring new video competition shouldn't be tax free, however when they bring new voice competion to telcos, the cable providers should be tax free) FiOS is a million times better when it comes to niche channels: NFL Network, DIY, Fine Living, Discovery Health, BBC America, FitTV, RFD, Soundtrack Channel, CMT Pure Country, WGN America, HDNet, AmericanLife TV, BET Gospel, CNBC World, CNN International,Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women, Fox Reality (soon to be Nat Geo Wild), FUNimation, Military History, MTV Jams, mtvU, Nick 2, Ovation, Retirement Living, TV Guide Network, TV One.
tax - 1/21/2010 8:58:04 PM EST -
im only paying 4.95 for my disney on demand my abc soapnet amc msg etc on demands are free i left fios because they could not get there billing right why was i paying an mta and texas state fax when i live in nyc. there taxes are pure prophet and now they are trying to take off 30$ off the bill to make it look like theres no tax ,,, F.I.O.S = forever in optimums shadow ... glad i came back to opt got a 69.95 deal 2 year no tax on internet and phone and free dvr
tiberius kurk - 1/21/2010 6:59:09 PM EST -
Seriously, I wonder what Cablevision will tack on to the already huge cable bills. If anything, Cable oughta make another package for those of us who don't want ANY sports at all. I could probably save $10 a month if not more if I want flooded with all those ESPN channels.
ELyse - 1/21/2010 6:44:24 PM EST -
Yeah, theyre back-Mazel tov! And what did this blackout do? Not a damn thing! Just missed 3 weeks of programming! Gee, I wonder if we'll get a refund for what we missed? NOT!!!
brutony - 1/21/2010 6:32:04 PM EST
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