Media General, TWC Reach Retrans Agreement in Principle

Stations will remain on cable operator's systems as parties finalize pact

By Mike Reynolds, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/1/2013 12:41:06 AM

Media General and Time Warner Cable have reached an agreement in principle on a new retransmission-consent deal.

The accord, reached just about an hour before the old contract was set to expire at midnight on Jan. 1, covers a dozen stations, including those serving the Tampa, Columbus, Ohio and Raleigh, N.C., DMAs. There will be no service disruption as the station group and the nation's No. 2 MSO continue to finalize the new contract.

WCMH in Columbus and WNCN in Raleigh are among the Media General stations carried by Time Warner Cable, while WFLA in Tampa and WVTM in Birmingham, Ala., are on systems owned by Bright House Networks. Time Warner Cable negotiates programming deals for Bright House.

WSPA in Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.; WJHL in Tri-Cities area in Tenn. and Va.; WSAV in Savannah, Ga.;WCBD in Charleston, S.C.; WNCT in Greenville-New Bern, N.C.; and WBTW in Myrtle Beach- Florence, S.C.; also will remain on TWC's air as the parties firm up their new retrans renewal.

Bright House will also keep WKRG, serving Mobile, Ala.-Pensacola, Fla., and environs, and WRBL in the Columbus, Ga. area on its systems as TWC and Media General work to complete their new pact.