Retrans Spat Leads to DISH Marketing/Sales Deal




LIN TV said its retransmission consent deal with Time Warner Cable is set to expire on Oct. 2. And while there are a few weeks left before the current contract expires, the broadcaster said it expects the MSO to discontinue carriage of its stations after that date.

According to LIN TV, 15 of its local stations are carried by Time Warner Cable. The markets are Austin, Buffalo, Columbus, Dayton, Ft. Wayne, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Mobile, Springfield, Mass, Terre Haute and Toledo.

With the retrans skirmish heating up, LIN TV said it formed a marketing and promotional partnership with d!sh network. The effort is encouraging Time Warner Cable customers to switch to the satellite TV company if one of its local signals has the potential to become unavailable or is removed from a cable system.

For a limited time, new subscribers to d!sh network in the impacted LIN TV markets will receive a $50 incentive to switch to the DBS service, the broadcaster said.

LIN TV said that has attempted to reach a long-term agreement or an extension agreement with Time Warner since July. The negotiations include carriage of both analog and high-def signals, the company said.

Nonetheless, LIN TV said it hopes to reach a deal with the cable operator before the end of the month.

"Most cable operators, like their satellite and telecommunications competitors, now understand and acknowledge that fair and equitable compensation is essential to ensure the viability of local television," said LIN TV's President and CEO Vincent Sadusky. "We look forward to negotiating with Time Warner so we may reach a deal with them before our contract expires."