News

No End in Sight for TWC and CBS Blackout

by Gillian White

Thanks to the ongoing war between the CBS network and Time Warner, millions of television viewers missed their weekly fix of shows fan favorites like Dexter and Under the Dome this weekend.

The blackout of all CBS channels for Time Warner's 3.5 million customers continues with no end in sight.

The two sides can't even agree on whether or not they are in talks to resolve the fee dispute.

According to a statement from CBS Sunday night, no negotiations were taking place. A spokeswoman from Time Warner indicated that the cable company is ready to resume negotiations whenever CBS is.

The beef started with CBS wanting to bump its fee for inclusion in Time Warner's subscription practices. Time Warner deemed the increase excessive, but also wanted to talk about access to the broadcaster's older programming, which gets sold to online streaming providers like Amazon Prime and Netflix.

But some analysts say that the standoff could last longer than most people even imagined. Experts are betting that the blackout lasts as much as 10 days. But that's the optimistic view. As the impasse wears on, some believe that it will take a much larger uproar to spur the two sides to act.

How long could this mess last? As long as six-weeks, according to some. The final straw would be the start of the official football season, which, obviously, no one could stomach missing.

So until then, what are subscribers to do? Well, CBS wants you to write letters to Time Warner, expressing your disgust. But Time Warner has another idea. The cable provider suggests taking it back to the old days and breaking out an antenna.