Mobile stations WALA, the Fox affiliate, and WFNA, the CW affiliate, are warning viewers who are Mediacom Cable customers that their access to local television programming is on the verge of being interrupted.
At issue is the retransmission contract between Mediacom and LIN Media, which owns the two stations. The current agreement expires on August 31, and if a new agreement is not reached, Mediacom cannot legally air programming from WALA and WFNA.
According to the WALA website, which has an extensive question-and-answer section about the potential blackout, the two parties are still negotiating “for the fair market value of our stations.”
Both stations have been running ticker graphics with a scrolling message detailing the potential outcome of the expiration of the contract, as well as full-screen graphics with a one-sentence summary of the retransmission dispute (like the one pictured, right). The station’s website is urging viewers to call Mediacom and express support for LIN Media.