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BREAKING NEWS! 4TH UPDATE: DISNEY/ABC JUST ANNOUNCED IT’S RETURNING WABC-TV TO CABLEVISION SUBSCRIBERS. OF COURSE, IT’S ALREADY 17 MINUTES INTO THE OSCARCAST.
Here’s the statement from WABC-TV: “We’ve made significant progress, and have reached an agreement in principle that recognizes the fair value of ABC7, with deal points that we expect to finalize with Cablevision. Given this movement, we’re pleased to announce that ABC7 will return to Cablevision households while we work to complete our negotiations.”
And here’s the statement from Cablevision: “We are happy to report that WABC Channel 7 has returned to Cablevision’s 3 million New York area homes. We are very grateful to our customers for their support and pleased to welcome ABC back.”
5:20 PM: No breakthrough as the clock ticks down. So no Oscars broadcast by Disney/ABC for Cablevision’s 3 million subscribers.
3:00 PM: I just heard from back east that there are lines of people at Radio Shacks buying old-fashioned TV antennas. Meanwhile, Cablevision announced it’s readying its 3 million subscribers for a non-Oscars night now that Disney is keeping the plug pulled on WABC-TV. The 5th largest cable provider will be offering exclusive On Demand movies at no charge, including Academy Award nominees The Hurt Locker, District 9, The Cove, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Inglourious Basterds, Julie & Julia, A Serious Man, Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Up. Also, Cablevision will have a correspondent both tweeting and liveblogging the Academy Awards. As if any of this is going to satisfy angry customers who want their Oscars!
12:20 PM: With 3 million Cablevision subscribers still unable to watch WABC-TV, and 4 1/2 hours until the Academy Awards begin broadcasting, Disney/ABC just announced it has put a “new proposal” on the bargaining table with the 5th largest cable operator. At the same time, Cablevision just said it would agree to binding arbitration with Disney/ABC in order to immediately return ABC to Cablevision customers in time for the Oscars:
March 7, 2010 — Statement from Rebecca Campbell, President and General Manager, WABC-TV
“We have sent Cablevision a new proposal, and are awaiting their response. If Cablevision is serious about doing right by their customers and returning ABC7 and its programming to them, then they need to act now. The ball is in their court.”
ABC7 urges Cablevision customers to call 1-877-990-ABC7 or visit www.saveABC7.com to express their concerns and for information on how to switch service providers or receive ABC7’s signal free, over-the-air.
BETHPAGE, NY, March 7, 2010 – Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) today said it would agree to government calls for binding arbitration with ABC Disney in order to immediately return ABC to Cablevision customers. ABC Disney pulled ABC off Cablevision last night at midnight as negotiations continued on a new agreement, removing the channel from more than 3 million New York area homes.
Earlier today, U.S. Senator John Kerry and other leading officials urged ABC Disney to restore ABC to Cablevision customers and suggested arbitration to resolve the dispute.
Charles Schueler, Cablevision’s executive vice president of communications, said:
“We remain deeply disappointed that ABC Disney has put their own financial interests above their viewers and pulled the plug on ABC. Given the extraordinary public interest in this matter, Senator Kerry and other public officials have suggested that arbitration is appropriate in this highly unusual situation. Thus, Cablevision will agree to binding arbitration and calls upon Disney CEO Bob Iger to immediately return ABC to New York area viewers, and join us in binding arbitration to resolve this matter fairly. We have communicated our position to the highest levels of the FCC and urged the agency to appropriately involve itself in this process.”
Cablevision has been able to reach agreement with every other major broadcaster in New York, and has proposed to ABC Disney terms for ABC that are as good or better than the terms in all these agreements. Over the last few days, more than 70 elected officials at the federal, state and local level called on ABC Disney to keep ABC on Cablevision while the companies worked in good faith to reach a fair agreement.
Cablevision customers interested in current information on the ABC Disney matter can visit http://www.cablevision.com/abc
- WABC-TV GOES DARK ON CABLEVISION! Will Retrans Battle Black Out Oscar B’cast?
- STILL NO OSCARS? Retrans Impasse Continues For Cablevision & Disney/ABC
- NO OSCARS? Cablevision Subscribers May Lose WABC-TV At 12:01 AM Sunday
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Don’t plan your Oscar parties just yet. This could just be a ploy. It’s possible that ABC designed this offer for the purpose of being rejected by Cablevision, so that Cablevision will be blamed for the loss of the Oscars and ABC can say “well, we made Cablevision an offer and they rejected it. So it’s their fauilt!”
Or I could just be cynical. I am hoping for the latter.
Disney needs to start writing the refund checks for the Oscar advertisers. This little stunt is beyond stupid.
This is a non-issue: you can still get ABC over-the-air, and in crystal clear HD, too! Let them keep it off of cable; See how fast they’ll re-negotiate after the Oscars are over and they’ve lost their leverage. (Speaking of LOST…)
Great point! And it’s free.
So, because the channel that brings you Desperate Housewives is off the air, but not the 300 other channels Cablevision provides, a Senator has to get involved? Because New Yorkers might miss the Oscars? Aren’t the Academy Awards supposed to be a recognition of excellence in the arts within the Academy? So now our elected officials have to get involved because Billy Bush and Joan Rivers won’t have as large an audience? Isn’t the appropriate resonse for the Academy to tell Disney to negotiate their cable contracts on someone else’s time and just not let them air the Awards again? That’s what the NFL would do if you pulled this on the Super Bowl. Right?
ABC should have streamed the event live for NYC/EC. That’s the future and they will be screwed harder before too long if they don’t get with the plot.
Whatever the outcome, it all boils down to greed, plain and simple. A win/win situation for the carpetbaggers who run ABC and Cablevision, and another royal screw-you to all of us who are forced to pay outrageous prices to receive TV channels that–not so long ago–were free (an antenna on the roof or “rabbit’s ears” indoors worked perfectly and didn’t cost a penny). I don’t have the option of paying for Cablevision (thank God for small favors) but I somehow doubt that Time-Warner is any better. Two years ago we were threatened with losing our service if we didn’t fork over a tidy sum for HD-TV. As far as I can tell, this “upgrade” means getting used to watching whatever channel you are tuned into suddenly freeze, black out, garble the dialogue, picture flipping enough to give you vertigo, etc. Call Time-Warner for an explanation, and after waiting an eternity to speak to a live person (your call is put on hold while a tape recording tries to sucker you in to signing up for premium–i.e., pay–stations), the “customer service” serf will excuse your rotten reception by blaming it on a storm in Atlanta! My advice to all those battered by this insanity: skip the boring Oscars (seriously, when was the last time you actually enjoyed this sorry spectacle of Hollywood consummating its love affair with itself) and curl up with a good book. Amen.
All this retrans drama is ridiculous and it is a shame that not only are consumers repeatedly made out to be the pawns in these negotiating ploys — but it ultimately is at their expense.
I blame Cablevision 100%. No other cable compamy has had this many problems. I am switching to FIOS this week. I wouldn`t keep cablevision if they gave it to me “Free”. They are the worst company.I have suffered with them for 30 years.
I wish Disney would take the Oscars off our TVs as well, I’d rather have the free movies than watch a bunch of rich people pat themselves on the back.
This whole mess is more damaging to Cablevision than Disney. pulling channels from subscribers, first hgtv and food network, and now abc, all within the past few months, won’t make their customers side with them. The customers, who want to watch their shows, will only be mad that their channels are gone, rather then thinking about the big corporations feud. And I’m willing to bet that many hgtv and food network audience want to watch the Oscars too. and it’s not like the general public have any warm and fuzzy feeling toward their cable companies to begin with.
I hope all those people back East buying antennas have digital converters. TV stations don’t broadcast in analog anymore. Maybe cable TV viewers weren’t aware of that.
thanks bob iger.
while i know you don’t give a whit, you have lost
a family of viewers. and this is a promise.
cannot believe you pulled this stupid stunt
to punish many east coast viewers.
Like ABC really cares, ABC is just one small part in the big picture that is Disney. I’ll bet within 10 years broadcast TV will just be a memory. The future is the Internet, weather its movie theaters getting their movies digitally, or TV viewers watching their programs online, the days of broadcast networks are numbered.
Why do you think Comcast wants NBCUniversal it sure isn’t because of NBC, it’s the cable networks and hulu.com
ABC7 is back on on Cablevision as of 8:40 (in Westchester).
Oscars bring best in some people and the worst in other. Total newcomers who undeservedly win everything are an example of the latter. When great class act Sandra won, she paid tribute to Meryl since many felt Meryl should`ve won. When Cameron won Director at GGs, he gracefully acknowledged that Bigelow should`ve won. But when Boal robbed Tarantino he didn`t bother to acknowledge that Tarantino should`ve won original script. Oh,no. He took the credit like he owns the place. Oh, well, arrogance goes with a win that happened thanks to those foul emails and who knows what other dirty tricks. he won`t last. That`s a promise.
I m really wish Disney would take the Oscars off our TVs as well…
I’m happy that the viewers got the opportunity to see most of the show even though it wasn’t that exciting.
This will turn out to be a public relations nightmare for both ABC and Cablevision. I can’t imagine what the guys on the damage -reduction teams at both of these cooperate giants were thinking. Maybe they weren’t thinking …. maybe they got the wrong guys on the Team(s). Anyone with a computer — who wanted to watch the show live — could have done so. I know because my wife did…It took very little “savey” to find the link to the REAL live feed from the Oscars. BOTH OF THESE IDIOT COMPANIES WILL LOOSE BIG TIME FOR WHAT THEY DID — DRAGGING THE PUBLIC ALONG TO SEE AND OBSERVE THEIR GREEDY GREEDY OBSCENE WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS. Hey.. how much are you paying for your Cablevision bill ???? How much did YOU spend last time you took the kids to Disney !!!
Oscars bring best in some people and the worst in other. Total newcomers who undeservedly win everything are an example of the latter. When great class act Sandra won, she paid tribute to Meryl since many felt Meryl should`ve won.
I m really wish Disney would take the Oscars off our TVs as well
Also, Cablevision will have a correspondent both tweeting and liveblogging the Academy Awards. As if any of this is going to satisfy angry customers who want their Oscars!
When Cameron won Director at GGs, he gracefully acknowledged that Bigelow should`ve won
ABC Disney in order to immediately return ABC to Cablevision customers. ABC Disney pulled ABC off Cablevision last night at midnight as negotiations continued on a new agreement, removing the channel from more than 3 million New York area homes.
Cablevision just said it would agree to binding arbitration with Disney/ABC in order to immediately return ABC to Cablevision customers in time for the Oscars