Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. today said Time Warner Cable Inc. will no longer hold talks in a programming dispute between the two firms. The stations will no longer be available on Time Warner Cable after December 31st.

According to Sinclair, Time Warner did not accept its latest offer of a monthly $0.10 increase per station, per subscriber.

Officials from Time Warner, however, said the cable company “has at no time told Sinclair that we were terminating negotiations.”

But Time Warner Cable has strengthened its hand in negotiations with its own agreement with the Fox network, which will allow the cable operator to continue carrying all Fox network programming after the local stations are blacked out.

A source at Time Warner Cable tells Stop the Cap! subscribers who have called the cable company to complain have been generally satisfied once they learn the network shows will still be available.

“It may cost viewers some Judge Judy, People’s Court, and a whole mess of program length ads these stations run all night and on weekends, but as long as they still can watch Glee and football, they are fine with it,” says our source.

“As for local news, does anyone watch Sinclair stations for local newscasts?  There are better choices, and viewers already knew that,” our source adds.

Time Warner Cable initially plans to place a chyron on the blacked out stations when network programming is not available, but discussions are underway about replacing that with cable-company acquired programming if the standoff continues for long.

“Time Warner Cable can easily license some older shows and movies and place them on our new ‘Fox’ channel and many viewers might find that more interesting than the stuff Sinclair stations run,” our source said.

The cable operator has experience doing exactly that in many markets, especially when they create channels to support networks like CW or MyNetworkTV that are not aired over the air in many medium-sized cities.  The cable operator could license a number of syndicated shows for free, ranging from talk programs to court shows, and run them during the day.

Stop the Cap! predicts after a few weeks at most, Sinclair will be back at the negotiating table to pound out a deal.  Sinclair stations will face an enormous financial hit from the loss of local advertising revenue, especially considering the majority of viewers still watch their stations over cable.

Stations Impacted

• AL Birmingham — WTTO (CW)
• AL Birmingham — WABM (MyNetworkTV)
• FL Pensacola — WEAR (ABC)
• FL Tallahassee — WTWC (NBC)
• FL Tampa — WTTA (MyNetworkTV)
• KY Lexington — WDKY (Fox)
• ME Portland — WGME (CBS)
• MO Girardeau — KBSI (Fox)
• NC Greensboro — WXLV (ABC)
• NC Greensboro — WMYV (MyNetworkTV)
• NC Raleigh — WLFL (CW)
• NC Raleigh — WRDC (MyNetworkTV)
• NY Buffalo — WUTV (Fox)
• NY Buffalo — WNYO (MyNetworkTV)
• NY Rochester — WUHF (Fox)
• NY Syracuse — WSYT (Fox)
• NY Syracuse — WNYS (MyNetworkTV)
• OH Cincinnati — WSTR (MyNetworkTV)
• OH Columbus — WSYX (ABC)
• OH Columbus — WTTE (Fox)
• OH Dayton — WKEF (ABC)
• OH Dayton — WRGT (Fox)
• SC Charleston — WTAT (Fox)
• SC Charleston — WMMP (MyNetworkTV)
• PA Pittsburgh — WPGH (Fox)
• PA Pittsburgh — WPMY (MyNetworkTV)
• TX San Antonio — KABB (Fox)
• TX San Antonio — KMYS (MyNetworkTV)
• VA Norfolk — WTVZ (MyNetworkTV)
• WI Milwaukee — WVTV (CW)
• WI Milwaukee — WCGV (MyNetworkTV)
• WV Charleston — WCHS (ABC)
• WV Charleston — WVAH (Fox)