Time Warner Drops CBS In Three Major Markets

Time Warner Cable has dropped CBS in three major markets across the US.

TWC subscribers discovered that some of their favorite channels had disappeared after midnight on Friday. Folks living in New York, Los Angeles, and the Dallas-Forth Worth area currently don’t have access to several CBS-owned networks.

Although most of the people affected by the Time Warner blackout live in these markets, other cities were affected as well. CBS stations in Denver, Boston, Detroit, and Chicago also went dark.

According to reports, approximately 2.5 million subscribers lost the ability to watch programs on Showtime. If you were in the middle of the current season of Dexter, then you’ll have to find other ways to get caught up on the popular program.

So who’s to blame for this unfortunate situation? That really all depends on who you ask. Time Warner Cable seems to think that CBS is responsible for the predicament. Not surprisingly, the broadcaster is quick to point the finger of blame at the cable provider.

“It’s become clear that no matter how much time we give them, they’re not willing to come to reasonable terms,” TWC said in a statement. The company added that CBS had “demanded an outrageous increase” in fees for their content.

CBS, meanwhile, said they asked Time Warner for another extension of the deadline. A representative for the broadcaster called the decision “ill-advised.” Since negotiations appear to have broken down, it’s unknown when these channels will become available to subscribers.

“Throughout this process, Time Warner Cable has conducted negotiations in a combative and non-productive spirit, indulging in pointless brinksmanship and distorted public positioning,” CBS said in a statement.

The press release continued, “What CBS seeks, and what we always have sought from the beginning, is fair compensation for the most-watched television network with the most popular content in the world. We will not accept less.”

In the meantime, TWC said it intends to replace the missing channels with programs from Starz Kids and Family. However, this isn’t exactly a suitable substitute for people who enjoyed the programming found on Flix and Showtime.

This is the first time in history that the broadcaster has been completely dropped by a cable provider.

Are you affected by the conflict between Time Warner and CBS?