Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC)'s brewing battle with programmers over the MSO's new iPad app leads today's cable news roundup.
TW Cable has received "one or more" cease-and-desist letters (but no lawsuits yet) from programmers in reaction to a new app that lets customers stream linear channels to iPads, MSO Chief Programming Officer Melinda Witmer tells Multichannel News. She also acknowledges that the MSO didn't anticipate the reaction the app has received from programmers so far. (See TW Cable Circles the iPad Wagons.)
Update:Fox acknowledged Wednesday that it sent a letter telling the MSO to stop streaming its channels, including FX, to the iPad, a Fox spokesman told Bloomberg.
TW Cable President and COO Robert Marcus went to bat for the MSO's new iPad app on CNBC yesterday, claiming its contracts with programmers give TW Cable "very broad rights" and that "there are really no references whatsoever to specific devices. ... One screen is essentially equivalent to another."
Steve Strand, owner of the independent store, stands by the promo, despite that RadioShack tells him it's tarnishing the company's brand. "I don't think this is a negative impact. I don't think they understand the way of life in Montana," he told the Ravalli Republic.
Cooler heads prevailed in the Cox-LIN TV retrans battle, as they've agreed in principal to a deal for continued carriage of LIN broadast stations in several Cox markets in Rhode Island, Alabama, Connecticut, and Mass. The deal comes together as the FCC starts to look at retrans reform. JB
Cooler heads prevailed in the Cox-LIN TV retrans battle, as they've agreed in principal to a deal for continued carriage of LIN broadast stations in several Cox markets in Rhode Island, Alabama, Connecticut, and Mass. The deal comes together as the FCC starts to look at retrans reform. JB