The war of words between ABC and Cablevision continued on Friday, with the cable giant reportedly saying that only Disney President and CEO Bob Iger can be the one to save WABC-TV customers from missing tomorrow’s Oscar telecast. Some 3 million New York-area Cablevision customers in Long Island, Westchester, Brooklyn, and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey could lose access to ABC programming if the cable company doesn’t reach a re-transmission agreement with the network, which wants $40 million a year to carry WABC-TV — or $1 per subscriber. ABC is the one threatening to pull the signal unless a new deal is reached.
“Cablevision already pays Disney more than $200 million a year and now they are demanding $40 million more,” according to a published statement by Charles Schueler, Cablevision’s executive vice president of communications. “We call on Bob Iger to stop holding his own viewers hostage, end his threats to pull the plug on ABC at midnight and instead work with us to reach a fair agreement. The switch is in Bob Iger’s hands.”
Rebecca Campbell, the President and General Manager of WABC-TV, responded with this statement: “It’s an insult to Cablevision customers that with literally hours to go before losing access to ABC7, Cablevision is personally attacking Disney executives. Does Cablevision have such little regard for its subscribers’ intelligence to think that they don’t know a negotiation takes two parties? The inconvenient truth is that ABC7 has been prepared to reach a fair agreement for two years and Cablevision has refused to do its part. If Cablevision CEO James Dolan and the Dolan Family Dynasty have any regard at all for the millions of customers who pay hard earned dollars for their service, they will order their troops to stop slinging mud and start cutting a deal.”
If ABC follows through with its threat to pull the signal, affected subscribers can still access WABC-TV for free by going old-school with an antenna.
This totally sucks. And while I know there are two sides here, and probably neither is 100% in the right, I always place the blame on Cablevision. They are my cable provider and I hold them responsible for what I get to watch. Negotiate Cablevision and stop posting your angry rants on TV.
it’s even funnier because ABC keeps saying that if we can’t get them we should switch to another provider. Their ‘save abc’ site also can tell you who provides in your area. Except the thing is wrong because plugging in my address tells me I can get Verizon FIOs when I can’t because Brookhaven Town doesn’t allow us to have it because the Dolan family lives here. So now all of us are going to lose ABC because we can’t jump ship
Sara I’m pretty sure you should be allowed to get Verizon Fios. Just because the Dolan family lives there doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to choose which cable provider you want for your house. It’s your bills so you are allowed to choose whomever you want.
Actually, some cities/towns only allow one cable company. He could probably get satellite though
Actually, according to the Fios site it isn’t available in my area. Apparently it has something to do with the town requiring Verizon to have every house wired within an impossible period of time while every other town gave more than enough time, because that’s what the Dolan family pushes for. We are able to have every other Verizon package (phone, internet) but not TV. It’s stupid, but this has been going on for a while now. Even the people working at the Verizon kiosk in our local mall think it is stupid, but all they can say is ‘coming soon’ when coming soon has been for a few years now. Hopefully now Verizon can maybe convince the town to extend their deadline
When you first turn on your Cablevision box, it takes you to a channel that is blaming ABC for everything. They say its because ABC wants Cablevision viewers to prop up their ‘failing theme parks’ or pay for their executive’s bonuses. How stupid does Cablevision think it’s customers are? One more channel threatens to jump ship from Cablevision and I am switching. I pay 234.00 a month for my package and I am sure I deserve the whole package.
is CABLEVISION running for office?
They are all a-holes. How can a major network like ABC be allowed to pull the plug on viewers like this? We pay more then enough to all of these greedy companies. Someone outside of Cablevision (which sucks, IMO) and ABC needs to step in on our behalf. So freaking ridiculous already… I predict we’ll see every channel trying to pull this crap now that there have already been three instances… I can see them all lining up now. And you know what? I’m not going to spend time, aggravation and money switching to anyone else… total pain in the behind and just wrong. I have Cablevision and pay plenty for it and should not be worried about the major networks jumping ship.
Agreed. Both sides are at fault, but the ABC rep stated that they waited until after sweeps week (when they made their ad $$$) and then deliberately chose Oscar weekend to pull the signal. In other words, ABC7 won’t let viewers who have Cablevision see the Oscars unless the pay the “ransom.” If ABC7 pulls the signal, they should no longer have the right to broadcast the Oscars, the Super Bowl, or any other major once-a-year TV event.
this is greed between two companies who have money. i have no options for Fios or direct tv.
I do not want to miss the OSCARS.
Both of these companies have enough money.
So keep ABC on the air, think about your customers.
I am very upset. this is suppose to be a fun weekend watching the Oscars, I planned a party now I may have to cancel it. come on.
This is a great game of chicken and I for one am hoping that Cablevision doesn’t blink. I would love to see ABC pull the plug on their biggest rating show, I’m sure their advertisers would be thrilled with the loss of 3 million of their prime demographic. SaveABC.com..don’t make me laugh. Their site claims undying concern for the viewers, they really really want us folk to be able to see that exercise in indulging self entitled, pampered multimillionaires (the oscars) accept awards and accolades for getting lucky and winning the good looking gene pool crapshoot. If ABC really cared, they could delay pulling the plug just one more day, maybe 3 so we can see LOST and then make their stand. This is all a joke and it is very telling that both mega companies think or realize how stupid and gullible the regular folk are. My vote is for pulling the plug, you can always find out what Meryl Streep said and who she thanked, the next day.
I am a Cablevision subscriber as well and although I usually blame them, I think this one is on ABC. ABC gets to broadcast for free because of a government permit – why do I have to pay anything to watch that channel? This seems like a money-grubbing argument that will just screw subscribers. Especially given the economic times we are in, why is any multi-billion dollar company asking for more money? I’m fed up with all of them – I just better not miss a single episode of Lost.
ya Lost would be a killer
Joe, you DO pay to watch the “Free” channel… look at your cable bill. Thats CH7′s argument.
This seems to be a different battle than the Time Warner had with Fox. In that case it was the entire Fox line-up (FX FNC etc.) Here its a local affiliate. Cablevision won’t lose ESPN or any other Disney property. If WABC wants to blackout their local news and other in house productions, they have the right to do that. Cutting off ABC network shows produced by Disney. Those are covered under the agreement with Disney, what Cablevision should do is just broadcast direct from the Satelite, show the national comercials, and totally cut WABC NY out of the loop.
I bought a digital antenna and it didn’t work. Now I’m Oscarless.
I’m taking a two hour train ride in the 6 and A train plus a bus to bvtt fv*k the middle of nowhere in Queens so I can watch the Oscars tomorrow. Thank you Cablevison, this is how I imagined the American Dream, taking a two dirty local subways to watch I show i’m supposed to see for free.
I guess its just me…but why does anyone care about the Oscars? I know like 70 million people watch it, but it’s like who cares if this person wins an award? Don’t hate me, I just don’t get it
I don’t hate you. I can’t understand why anyone would watch the World Series (or any other baseball game for that matter). I just wonder why you were interested enough to read the article about the Oscars and then take the time to post on the message board. That’s weird.
not to niggle, but the article is about ABC vs Cablevision. I am interested in the corporate dynamic. The Oscars just happens to be the urgency behind the posturing. ABC chose this moment to become outraged at the deal knowing that there would be a public uproar over the possibility of the Oscars not being broadcast. So thank you for not hating me, but it’s not that weird
In this situation I think Cablevision is actually the lesser of the two evils. If ABC gets what it wants the money comes out of the pockets of Cable’s customers, and I already pay quite enough, so ABC feigning concern for the public is a load of BS.
I hope Cable sticks to its guns and refuses to pay ABC what they want. ABC should get something on par with what all the other major networks get and not a penny more.
I’m shocked how many people don’t realize that they already pay for basic cable!
Same problem here.. Theres service is not in my area. Don’t know what to do..My favorite show LOST is on that network…what shoudl i do.
Do they show it on the website? I figure that’s where I’ll be watching my ABC shows. : ) I hope the advertisers get pissed at ABC and create bigger problems for the greedy bastards.
Antonio, if you have internet just watch LOST on Hulu or abc.com. That’s what I’m going to do.
Has everyone forgotten that digitial tv by an antenna is still available?
if you did not get ready, tough beans.
if you have to have it, do not get locked into one source.
so stop crying for something that is just not that important.