TWC may cancel CW18 carriage soon

[gparris]

I can only speculate that Sinclair's contract with CW and MyNetworkTV is geographically exclusive.  

Otherwise if the networks didn't like what the local affiliates were doing, they could just hook up with another local outfit.  They can still do that when contracts come up for renewal, or maybe if the local starts showing neo-nazi recruiting videos instead of infomercials, but they can't do it at the drop of a hat.

The FCC can always revoke a license for those things (recruiting video example), but as for not showing locals, I don't think so, either.
What will hit Sinclair stations is that most that what locals don't really use OTA, IMO, as when the country went digital for broadcasting, many went to subscribe to cheap basic cable (or satelllite offerings at the time) instead of indoor antennas and the problems that were thought to have occurred with the switch out of analogue channels never materialized. I know many folks that had used rabbit ears for analogue and then bought the cheap services instead of getting convertor box and trying to get signal.

My point is, Sinclair will hurt the most as its viewer base will rapidly decline as cable is not offering their channel(s), then their advertisers will demand less dollars for less viewers and it will Sincair that will be hurting the most with less revenue. If I were selling products (commercials) to a much smaller group of potential viewers, I'd ask for my money back or when the time came up, negotiate down, way down.

TWC can wait, Sinclair, not-so-much.

Another thing to remember is that when viewers change the viewing habits to not watch (because they can't) channels 18 and 24 (or other channels in other cities), they may never come back.

[LoadStar]

By the way WISN is in negotiations with DirectTv for a new agreement. Old one is set to expire on Dec 31st as well.  WISC in Madison on U-Verse as well. These trashy affiliates are everywhere.

Hearst and DirecTV have reached an agreement.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/directv-tv-station-group-hearst-67112

[LoadStar]

Time Warner and Sinclair have extended talks, and allowed carriage until at least January 14.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL3E7C100U20110101

[Xizer]

Pussies...

[LoadStar]

Looks like contract negotiations haven't made any headway, and the deadline is almost up again.

[LoadStar]

A second extension has been reached. The contract will now expire at midnight on Saturday. It originally was due to expire at midnight on Friday.

[LoadStar]

Sinclair and TWC have reached an agreement. No interruptions in service expected.

[mrschimpf]

Sinclair and TWC have reached an agreement. No interruptions in service expected.

Let's see though if this adds The Country Network to the 990 tier. Now I have to gird myself for the next couple months; Sinclair and Charter's current RT agreement comes to an end on March 31st and I expect that to go to the wire also.