| In a letter from Cablevision's Roger Connor, Director of Governmental Affairs, dated March 2, 2010, he wrote to Mayor Barbara Moore advising her that it was his company's intention to "withdraw ABC television from Cablevision subscribers at 12:01AM if Disney and Cablevision have not finalized an agreement allowing Cablevision to continue to retransmit WABC TV." This action would jeopardize the ability of Village residents to view the Oscars program to be aired on Sunday evening.
"We pay more than $200 million a year to ABC Disney for their programming and now they say they will pull the plug unless Cablevision pays $40 million more in new fees for the exact same channels," said Cablevision spokesperson Sarah Chaikin." It is not fair to force Cablevision customers to pay a new TV tax for programming [while] ABC Disney gives away free, both over-the-air and on the Internet. We urge them to work with us to reach a fair agreement." While Cablevision has set its system so users are automatically directed to a special channel with its own statement, ABC has quickly created the Web site, www. saveabc7.com to make its own position known.
The Roger Connor claimed that "Disney has demanded an additional $40 million for the same programming." Cablevision, however, has made similar moves over Food Channel programming and had dropped several popular shows earlier this year, until the differences over revenue sharing had been resolved between Cablevision and Scripps Howard.
Residents may not learn how this situation is to be resolved until or unless WABC TV programming disappears suddenly from their Cablevision system.
The Village will keep residents advised of developments in this dispute.
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