Cable dispute could turn off bowl games

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The dispute between Fox Network and Time Warner Cable could cause big headaches for local football fans.

At midnight Thursday, Fox's agreement with the cable company expires. Time Warner has agreed to discuss a 30-day truce period so Fox programming could continue into 2010. Fox said negotiations are on-going. If they cannot come to an agreement over retransmission rights before then, local Fox programming on KTBC will not be visible to Time Warner customers.

This includes the Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, which decides who wins the NFC East division.

Several other channels like the Food Network, FX, Fuel, the Fox Movie Channel, Speed, and Fox Sports Southwest will also be impacted.

Fox will broadcast the Sugar Bowl between Cincinnati and Florida; the Cotton Bowl on Saturday between Oklahoma State and Ole Miss; the Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and TCU, the Orange Bowl between Iowa and Georgia Tech.

Fox will also broadcast the Cowboys game against the Eagles on Sunday.

Those won't be seen by Time Warner customers if the two can't come up with a solution.

"I was just like how am I going to deal without football, because football is everything in Texas," said Time Warner customer, Zach Joseph.

It is a situation similar to KXAN owner LIN TV's negotiation with Time Warner last November.

According to Time Warner's Web site, they have extended an offer but are refusing to meet what they call Fox's exorbitant demands. Fox argues for what Time Warner charges its customers and the high ratings Fox's programming brings in, the compensation would be reasonable.

In addition to the bowl games, the following programs would also go blank if the negotiations aren't worked out:

New episodes of "House" on Jan. 11, "Bones" on Jan. 14 and "Fringe" on Jan. 14. Season premieres of returning series' "American Idol" on Jan. 12 and 13 and "24" on Jan. 17 and 18; series premiere of "Human Target" on Jan. 17.

There are some things to consider if you're planning on using an antenna. If your television is more than three years old, you will need a digital converter box too.

"I'm afraid there's a lot of people out there who think they can just go to their rabbit ears and pick it up like they used to and its not going to happen with digital," said Bob Bond with Bond's Television and Electronics.

Dish TV distributor Satellite Country in south Austin is raking in record end-of-year sales as an alternative to cable due in large part to the Time Warner debacle. By mid-day on New Year's Eve, Brian Price had already hooked 50 new customers by phone.

"You know, it a deal breaker for me if I can't get them set up by tomorrow or the next day,” said Price, “so he can at least some of his bowl games and his NFL football."

This week, sales there were up by 35 percent, and crews were ready to start installs at dawn on New Year's Day.

"We're expecting a big influx in calls as soon as we open up in the morning," said sales manager Derek Fivel.

Fox agreed to switch the University of Texas men's and women's basketball this weekend to the CW Austin (KNVA) instead. The women’s game is at 11 a.m., and the men’s is at 3:30 p.m.

For the other programming people love, Time Warner suggests checking out Fox's Web site, even hooking the computer up to your TV.