More Political Pressure For Binding Arbitration To Resolve Dispute Between Cablevision and News Corp.

by Colby Hall | 4:41 pm, October 15th, 2010

» 2 comments

Earlier this week, Mediaite was the first to suggest that binding arbitration could be a solution to the brewing conflict between cable provider Cablevision and the Fox Broadcasting company, which is owned by News Corp., over renewing their contract and carriage fees. Cablevision agreed to the suggestion of binding arbitration put forth by Rep. Peter King and Steve Israel to resolve the dispute, but News Corp. did not, but perhaps that will change now that a bipartisan collection of 27 legislators have joined the call for binding arbitration.

The Cablevision’s press release:

BETHPAGE, NY, October 15, 2010 – Twenty seven leading elected officials have joined a growing bipartisan chorus calling upon News Corp. and Cablevision to submit to binding arbitration to resolve their current contract dispute fairly, and to prevent News Corp. from pulling the plug on Fox 5 and My9 at midnight tonight. Cablevision yesterday agreed to binding arbitration before a neutral third party, but News Corp. has so far refused.

Charles Schueler, Cablevision’s executive vice president of communications, issued the following statement on News Corp.:

“If we can’t reach agreement, Cablevision will accept the bipartisan calls of 27 elected officials for binding arbitration to solve this matter without any interruption in programming. We urge the leadership of News Corp. to put viewers first and join us in this fair and impartial process. Cablevision would never take these broadcast stations away from our customers, and we have urged News Corp. not to pull the plug on Fox 5 and My9.”

Cablevision and News Corp. are continuing direct negotiations today.

Elected officials urging the parties to agree to binding arbitration include:

Congressman Peter King (R-NY)

Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY)

Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY)

Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY)

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY)

Congressman Steve Rothman (D-NJ)

Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ)

NY State Senator George Maziarz (R-NY)

NY State Senator Jose Peralta (D-NY)

NY State Senator Dean Skelos (R-NY)

NY State Assemblyman Karim Camara (D-NY)

NY State Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)

NY State Assemblyman Denny Farrell (D-NY)

NY State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-NY)

NY State Assemblyman Mike Spano (D-NY)

NJ State Senator Paul Sarlo (D-NJ)

NJ State Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-NJ)

NJ Speaker of the Assembly Sheila Oliver (D-NJ)

CT State Senator Gayle Slossberg (D-CT)

CT State Rep. Chris Perone (D-CT)

CT State Rep. William Tong (D-CT)

Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone (D-NY)

Rockland County Legislator Ed Day (R-NY)

NYC Councilmember Erik Martin Dilan (D-NY)

NYC Councilmember Dan Garodnick (D-NY)

Westchester County Legislator Bill Ryan (D-NY)

Harrison Town Supervisor Joan Walsh (D-NY)

While profit-making companies have the right to fight for the best deals they can get, TV viewers are unfairly caught in the middle. Binding arbitration seems to be the fairest way to make sure people don’t lose their favorite shows. Perhaps it’s finally time for the FCC to do something.

(Image via)

Arbitration, Cablevision, Fox Broadcasting, News Corp., Peter King, Steven Israel

http://Mediaite.com uggugg

Here in Southern California, gasoline is up to $ 337.9 per gal., as of today-10/16/10–This has to do with foreign influence. OPEC and Saudi Arabia are raping the money store called America.
News Corp., who is owned by a Saudi Arabian Prince named Alwaleed Talal al-Saud and his family of Saudi Arabia, who pretty much owns Rupert Murdoch also. These Corporate Giants stationed in Foreign Countries, doing business in America are no different than terrorist. What is the difference if someone terrorizes your country, your finances or your business? Take Oil for instance; when the economy fell apart they damaged it further by raising fuel prices as high as 4 time the price before the economic downturn. Was this to hurt us more or help the economy? We are in a money war whether we like it or not. This could be as bad if not worse than a bloody military conflict. We need better weapons to fight these financial wars. We should have a Federal Investigation to see if friends in Wall Street are working with or in the interest of any foreign influence. We all remember Osama bin Laden remarking we will cause America to spend its self into poverty. A lot more of this may be under the surface than anyone has noticed.
mardec

I never heard so much crap as that posted by Uggugg. Neither News Corp. nor Rupert Murdoch most certainly is NOT owned by Saudis or any other prince, except it’s combined stockholders. Uggugg needs a lesson in economics 101. It’s true that OPEC can attempt to raise oil prices, but that has nothing to do with News Corp.

Let me remind you all that these so-called big, bad, nasty “Corporate Giants” are the ones who employ a high portion of the world’s population, including here in the US, it’s not wise to cut off your nose to spite your face. Take a good look at Detroit. The corporations are certainly no worse than Big Unions who feather the nests of the union bosses while raping the rank and file of their hard earned paychecks. It’s their stubborn and often stupid work rules that force corporations to take their businesses elsewhere. They refuse to compromise and would rather see all employees lose their jobs when a plant closes than to take on a reasonable share of the ever increasing cost of health care or other benefits, as recently happened in Indiana. The unions force business out of the country.

As for the price of gas in California, you can blame your incompetent Democrat Legislators for putting so many onerous regulations and taxes on oil companies who want to sell you gas. Here is Massachusetts, I spent $2.69/gal yesterday for gas. So we have 2 coasts in the same country with widely varying prices for gas. And Mass. has a high gas tax ! So I wonder why CA has to pay so much more. You figure it out.