Maybe KMOV is playing hardball here. I have no idea. But given the gobs and gobs of complaints against Charter for their incompetence, I have a hard time assuming that the blame falls on KMOV. Even if it is KMOV's fault, how in the bluest ring of hell can a cable provider fail to carry CBS? That's the barest of bare minimums. If I get the cheapest cable plan out there, the one where I get like five channels and I pay you in wampum and goats in the old Babylonian barter system... I expect to AT LEAST get CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, and PBS.Starting Dec. 31, Charter Cable may no longer carry KMOV-TV, which would affect 440,000 viewers.
CBS affiliate KMOV said it and Charter have been unable to reach an agreement on contract terms after two years of negotiations.
Charter said that it wants to carry KMOV but that the station is demanding a "significant amount of money."
"We want to continue to carry KMOV, uninterrupted," said John Miller, a Charter spokesman. "Any decision to drop KMOV from Charter’s line-up would be their decision, not Charter’s, but we hope it does not come to that."
Carriage of KMOV’s signal is also available on DirecTV and AT&T U-Verse on Channel 4 and Dish Network Channel 6454. KMOV’s signal also continues to be available over-the-air to viewers with a digital television purchased after May 2007.
“It is unfortunate that Charter does not see the value in offering KMOV’s signal to its subscribers,” said Allan Cohen, president and general manager of the station. “We remain hopeful that we can quickly resolve this issue with minimal disruption to our viewers. KMOV’s signal is carried by every other major provider that offers television service to subscribers in the St. Louis market.”
AT & T U-Verse just got a new customer.
