In an effort to end the renewal disputes with Cablevision that have led to blackouts, several key Fox executives flew out to the East Coast for face to face meetings this morning. Go ahead and strike a check in the fail column on those negotiations. Not only did the meetings break down quickly enough for them to be referred to as “brief”, Fox executives actually decided to fly home after they ended because the sides were so far apart. That’s right. They flew back to California, where everyone already gets Fox.
According to Variety, the two parties have organized a meeting by phone tomorrow, but I wouldn’t hold out too much hope. Typically, it’s easier for people to get on the same page when they’re in the same room, but maybe a two thousand mile buffer is exactly what these two corporations need to shake hands.
So, who’s right and who’s wrong? Well, far be it from me to be the douche defending Fox, but it should be noted this isn’t Fox’s first trip to the rodeo. They’ve already offered these same terms to several other television providers, and they were accepted. It would seem like horrible policy to openly allow a single company, especially one that’s not exactly CocaCola, to pay less for your product, but it should be noted I am not the CEO of either Cablevision or Fox. My voice is only about as important as the millions of New Yorkers screaming to see postseason baseball.
