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2011 retransmission dispute roundup: which channels may go dark at midnight
It's a yearly thing, with contracts between TV stations and pay-TV providers due to expire just as the ball drops for the New Year it's increasingly hard to tell which channels will still be around when 2011 dawns. Check out our list below to see which ones are on the chopping block and which ones have already reached a new agreement this time around. If you spot any we've missed let us know in the comments or if there are any last minute reprieves, updates or extensions. Update: Moved Suddenlink/Viacom, Time Warner/Sinclair to resolved Expiring at midnight: Dish Network vs. E!, Style -- Dish Network and Comcast are negotiating over the networks, with a contract expiring at midnight. Dish and Comcast are also fighting over Comcast SportsNet California, which has been off the air since November 24 Resolved: Hearst vs. DirecTV - Covering 29 stations across the country including CBS, ABC and CW affiliates Insight vs. Raycom - Three stations in Louisville, Evansville and Cincinnati Suddenlink vs. Viacom - Not only will Suddenlink keep Viacom stations like MTV, VH1 and Spike, but it will also be adding EPIX "in the next few months," without raising its subscribers rates Time Warner Cable vs. Sinclair Broadcast Group -- Sinclair owns ABC, CBS, Fox, CW, MyNetworkTV and NBC affiliates in 35 markets which it will pull at midnight including San Antonio, Pittsburgh and Tampa. Time Warner claims it will still be able to provide programming from the "Big 4" networks in those areas without Sinclair, although viewers may miss their local news stations -- This isn't fully resolved, but negotiations have been extended until January 14th. Details here.
Style Network joins iTunes lineup
New to iTunes comes the Style Network, home to shows about beauty, fashion, home and entertainment. I have never personally watched the Style network and, until it popped up on iTunes tonight, was never actually aware that it existed. The new shows include "Clean House", where the host inspires homeowners to--wait for it people, wait for it--clean their houses, "Split Ends", which covers the sheer shear madness (the wit!) of stylists who swap hair salons and "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?", which dives into the lives of wedding planners. Sadly, none of the new shows offer any free episodes to sample.
