[opendtv] News: Moonves: CBS Wants Retrans Cash
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 09:59:48 -0400
Moonves: CBS Wants Retrans Cash
June 16, 2005 12:00am
Source: Multichannel News
Viacom Inc. co-chief operating officer Leslie Moonves said once
again last week the CBS Television Network would seek cash for
carriage in future, especially if the planned split of Viacom's cable
and broadcast networks goes ahead as planned.
Viacom's proposed split of the company into two units - one headed by
co-chief operating officer Tom Freston and including its growth
assets (cable channels and the Paramount Pictures movie studio) and
one headed by Moonves and including its more stable properties (CBS,
Showtime, Infinity Radio and Infinity Outdoor) in March.
At its May 26 annual meeting, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone said
the company's board of directors would decide whether to go through
with the separation by the end of June.
Last Monday, at the Deutsche Bank Securities Media &
Telecommunications conference, Moonves said if the split does happen
- and he said it's likely it will - CBS will be ready to seek for
retransmission consent.
"We're tired of not getting paid, or not getting paid properly, for
the CBS programming," Moonves said.
He had made similar comments during a quarterly results call in April
about CBS's likely bid for retrans cash, but went further last week.
While most CBS carriage deals with major operators won't expire for
another three to five years, Moonves said MSOs should expect to pay
cash to carry the network after that.
He said he's been talking with CBS affiliates about such a move
already - and affiliate stations want assurances that if they are
having trouble with cable operators, CBS will "back them up and not
dump the signal into a different market."
Moonves acknowledged cash for retrans is controversial with MSOs, but
said it will happen nonetheless.
"If the split happens, we would be a standalone and in a unique
position that no other network has been in for quite awhile," Moonves
said. "The future of that looks pretty bright for us. Needless to
say, the cable operators are not happy with me stating this, but it's
a new day and I want to get paid for my good programming."
Time Warner Cable chairman and CEO Glenn Britt, also Monday at the
same conference, had a reply for Moonves.
"There are certainly people out there talking about getting cash for
retransmission consent," Britt said. "And obviously it is in our
interests to resist that. So we'll have tough negotiations.
"The only thing I would add to that is I think the regulatory
environment is shaky and broadcasters have been resisting giving the
extra spectrum back that they got for high-def, they've been
resisting trading things for that like more public service
programming, there is the indecency issue. So it's probably not a
good idea for the broadcast community to start getting really piggy
on retrans, which by the way then gets passed to customers and
becomes a big political issue."
<<Multichannel News -- 06/16/05>>
<< Copyright ©2005 Reed Business Information. All Rights Reserved. >>
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