CBS/TWC Reach Deal
One month after Time Warner Cable lost CBS O&Os and Showtime, the two reached a new carriage agreement. CBS returned to Time Warner Cable subs in NY, L.A. and Dallas. Showtime was again available to TWC customers nationwide. Bright House subs also saw CBS networks returned.
"The final agreements with Time Warner Cable deliver to us all the value and terms that we sought in these discussions," CBS chief Les Moonves said in a memo to employees.
“We are receiving fair compensation for CBS content and we also have the ability to monetize our content going forward on all the new, developing platforms that are right now transforming the way people watch television.
Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt’s statement: "While we certainly didn’t get everything we wanted, ultimately we ended up in a much better place than when we started." Britt went on to call for an update to retrans rules, thanking the 50+ consumer organizations and legislators that “supported our call for Congress and the FCC to reassess" the rules.
The agreement also covers Smithsonian Channel and CBS Sports Net. New for TWC subs will be the availability of Showtime TVE service Showtime Anytime. Also included is VOD for CBS stations in NY, L.A. and Dallas.
FCC interim chair Mignon Clyburn said she was pleased a deal had been reached. "At the end of the day, media companies should accept shared responsibility for putting their audience’s interests above other interests and do all they can to avoid these kinds of disputes in the future," she said.