The contract between Time Warner Cable and WDRB-TV in Louisville is on the verge of expiring.Time Warner pays content providers such as local television stations to carry their programs on cable. Time Warner has reportedly offered WDRB and its sister station WMYO the same fees Insight Communications paid before Time Warner purchased the company. WDRB officials have refused the offer, and the WDRB newsroom posted a story detailing the talks.
Lamb says negotiations are not close. He says, "Time Warner has their own history of increasing rates. That's their thing. Do you know what people pay for WDRB right now? Two cents a day. Do you know what they are going to pay under the deal we've proposed? Two cents a day. You know what they pay for WMYO? Zero. That's what we've proposed. I don't think that's greedy. I think that's at least fair and even more so."
In an editorial, WDRB General Manager Bill Lamb says Time Warner is being greedy and should pay more for popular programming. However, a Time Warner spokeswoman says the rate offer is fair.
A certain level of brinksmanship is common in the last days of such negotiations, and the Time Warner spokeswoman says she believes a deal can and will be reached before the contract expires tomorrow night.
If no deal is reached, WDRB and WMYO will not be available on cable in Louisville.
