Dispute over retransmission fees may lead to Fox dropping some affiliates

Just when it seemed like the worst of the retrans disputes had passed, now Fox is going at it with its own affiliates. Bloomberg revealed a letter sent by the chairman of the Fox affiliate board claiming he worried that Fox may not be interested in a deal on par with profit sharing from NBC, CBS and ABC, and the network is now pursuing individual agreements with affiliates instead of dealing with them as one. Fox's side of the story was told in an interview with Broadcasting & Cable by President of Affiliate Sales & Marketing Mike Hopkins who feels like Fox is bringing more value than its currently being compensated for. Check the entire interview to get a feel for his view of the "flawed, out of date network model" -- all in all, we'd suggest keeping your eyes peeled for potential changes in which station carries Fox in your neck of the woods.