[Vision2020] FOX May Be Dropped From Local Programming

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (December 13, 2006) Moscow-Pullman Daily News -

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FOX may be dropped from local programming 

Staff report 
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - Page Updated at 12:07:35 PM 

Cable customers on the Palouse soon may not be able to tune into FOX
affiliate KAYU. 

According to a press release from Time Warner Cable, Spokane's FOX affiliate
KAYU and Time Warner have not reached an agreement or extension to their
current contract. If an agreement is not reached by midnight Friday, Time
Warner will remove KAYU from its lineup. 

Time Warner Cable and KAYU have been negotiating a contract extension for
four months, according to the press release. 

Jon Rand, general manager of KAYU, called the negotiations a "classic
David-versus-Goliath setup." 

"We are not Goliath," he said. "(Time Warner) is unwilling to agree to our
demands at this point; that's what this is really all about." 

Rand said the issue is not a FOX-versus-Time Warner standoff. 

KAYU is part of Northwest Broadcasting, which owns four news stations and
has to pay to be a FOX affiliate, he said. 

The press release from Time Warner stated that KAYU is no longer negotiating
in good faith and has not responded to Time Warner Cable's counter
proposals. 

"In general, if an agreement is not obtained with a programmer, it is
customary for Time Warner Cable to receive a contract extension to avoid
having to take the channel off," the release said. 

Rand said the amount KAYU is seeking is a fraction of what Time Warner pays
for other channels like CNN and ESPN. 

"Time Warner is using our signal, yet (is) proving unwilling to want to pay
us," he said. 

Rand said he feels sorry for Time Warner customers who have become victims
of the situation and the local Time Warner employees who are taking abuse.

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I have been with cable television as long as I have been here in Moscow.  I
will be switching over to DirectTV next week.

I have been paying $60.00 per month to Adelphia (now Time-Warner) Cable for
their limited selection of channels.

My Recommendation:  DirectTV's Total Choice Plus package ($49.99 per month)
http://www.directtv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart1.jsp?assetId=900040#F

185 channels plus basic additional channels.

Initial setup fee is approximately $140.00

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

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Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.

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