I've been getting email from Time Warner lately containing messages like this one:

Don't Let Them Hold Your TV Hostage

At midnight New Year's Eve, FOX has threatened to pull the plug on Time Warner Cable customers -- withholding their programming unless we pay massive price increases.

We think they're going too far – especially in today's economy.

They continue:

Pay Our Price or You'll Never See FOX Again
Time Warner Cable is working hard to reach an agreement. We've offered FOX a reasonable price increase that protects our customers' pocketbooks. But we are not giving in to excessive demands.

I find this hilarious. I've been receiving similar emails for perhaps a month or so, but yesterday I saw a NYT article about what's going on.

The News Corporation is threatening to remove its Fox stations from Time Warner Cable systems at the end of this week if the cable company does not agree to pay sizable subscriber fees, the same way it does for cable channels. In negotiations, the News Corporation is pushing for about $1 a month for each subscriber, potentially setting a precedent for broadcasters that are seeking a new revenue stream to offset advertising declines.

Personally, I don't care which way it goes -- I don't watch tv (except after the fact on dvd), and I *certainly* don't watch football.

(Facebook & rss people, please click through to leave comments on my blog, not on FB or in a reader)