CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network and other Turner Broadcasting channels have been dropped from Cable One, the country’s 10th-largest cable provider, as part of a carriage dispute. TNT and TBS are also being dropped, right as the MLB Playoffs start.
As a result of the dispute, over 500,000 cable subscribers will be unable to get the channels, mostly in the South and the Midwest, where Cable One has most of its customers.
The timing couldn’t be worse for CNN, which is covering the effects of the government shutdown. Subscribers will also be unable to watch the MLB wildcard and division series games, which start this week on TBS. When CBS was dropped by Time Warner Cable this Summer, it was off the air for a few weeks. It isn’t clear how close Turner and Cable One were in their negotiating process, but the fact that the channels were dropped is not a good sign.
“Turner has a long history and well-earned reputation as a fair and reasonable partner to our distributors and we have worked diligently with Cable One to come to a resolution, even offering an extension that expired at noon today,” a Turner Broadcasting statement said. “We are simply asking that Cable One pay the established and accepted rates already in the marketplace for our portfolio and remain willing to discuss a new agreement that recognizes the strength and value of our networks and the popular programming they offer.”
“Cable One has been in negotiations to renew our contract with Turner Network for the past several months and we have made every effort to reach a fair deal,” Cable One CEO Tom Might said in a statement. “However, Turner has demanded an increase of nearly 50% for channels with steadily declining ratings. Since we were unable to reach a fair deal with Turner, we’ve been forced to drop these channels from our channel line-up.”