Young Broadcasting Inc. Class A (fka YBTVQ)

[fredman]

Switch to digital TV gives television broadcasters a boost in revenues as new retransmission agreements are due.

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Wisconsin TV stations in talks with cable provider
Deals for channels 32, 2, 26 on table after Fox dispute

BY WARREN GERDS • GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA • NOVEMBER 26, 2008

GREEN BAY — Fresh off the flap over the local Fox station comes news that retransmission consent agreements with Time Warner Cable will come due Dec. 31 for three northeastern Wisconsin television stations.

Negotiations are taking place on the corporate level or with representatives for WACY Channel 32; WBAY Channel 2; and WGBA Channel 26, said Bill Harke, spokesman for Time Warner.

Time Warner corporate reached an agreement Oct. 29 with LIN TV, the parent company of WLUK Channel 11, after an impasse that took the station off the cable system for 3½ weeks. That impasse caused many viewers to lose access to some Green Bay Packers games.

While WGBA has an agreement with Time Warner for a digital channel, the agreement for the analog channel expires Dec. 31, Harke said.

For WBAY, the cable company is negotiating with Young Broadcasting, which owns WBAY as well as a station in Albany, N.Y., that's in a Time Warner market.

"Our deal isn't done, but we're working on it diligently," said Don Carmichael, general manager of WBAY.

Pending arrival of equipment, WIWB Channel 14, will have a high-definition channel on Time Warner and Charter Communications on Dec. 18, said Jeff Bartel, WIWB promotion manager. AT&T already carries the station's HD signal, he said.

"We have must-carry agreements with everyone who carries our signal," Bartel said.

Warren Gerds writes for the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Source: http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20081126/OSH0101/311260034/1987