How Long Will the Dispute Between CBS and Time Warner Cable Last?

By Merrill Knox 

CBS stations remain unavailable to Time Warner Cable customers in major markets, including New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston. The New York TimesBill Carter reports the two sides “may not engage in further direct confrontation for some time”:

Several media analysts suggested the standoff might be protracted, with predictions ranging from about 10 days to as long as six weeks. The later date is associated with the start of the N.F.L. season, a package of programming that everyone involved agrees cannot be denied to subscribers.

Indeed, timing seems to be the dominant factor driving the dispute. CBS has continued to insist that it would make its programs available to the cable company throughout the negotiations and that the cable company acted now to remove them from its service because Time Warner Cable would lose leverage as the football season got closer — a point the cable executives do not dispute. They acknowledge they need to push the issue now.

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