Time Warner Cable cuts off CBS stations*

Here we go.... Time Warner Cable is about to pull the plug on KCBS and KCAL. "It's become clear that no matter how much time we give them, they're not willing to come to reasonable terms," the company said in a statement. CBS says: "Time Warner Cable has conducted negotiations in a combative and non-productive spirit, indulging in pointless brinksmanship and distorted public positioning." The two sides had a 2 p.m. deadline to come to terms on a new deal - that after numerous extensions in the past few weeks. The two L.A. stations, along with CBS-owned stations in New York and Dallas, were cut off briefly on Monday night and then restored. Anybody's guess where this leads, but it just so happens that ratings-draw Tiger Woods is leading the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament that CBS is telecasting over the weekend. That's a chunk of lost ad revenue. Then there's "60 Minutes" on Sunday night (albeit a rerun) and "Under the Dome" on Monday, and of course the morning news shows. This may be a slow time for TV viewing, but it's hard to see CBS wanting this to go on for very long. The folks at Time Warner Cable might have a little more leverage, since viewers are unlikely to cancel their service in the next few days. Still, they're not likely to be making many friends either. Anyway here's some backstory.

*Updated post