Bounce TV has reached out to Time Warner Cable group vice president David Lange to express its disappointment that the cable operator has dropped the network in top market New York (where it airs on Univision-owned WXTV).
In a letter to Lange, a copy of which was supplied to Multichannel News, Bounce TV cofounder Martin Luther King III also took the opportunity to opine on TWC's lack of Bounce carriage in No. 2 market L.A.
Bounce last month moved its affiliation from a subchannel on Fox's WWOR New York to WXTV, so rather than Fox, TWC is now negotiating with Univision.
"Time Warner Cable continues to disappoint African Americans in the two biggest cities in the United States," said King, a name that clearly resonates in the diversity community and in Washington, where TWC is trying to get its merger with Comcast approved. "This does not bode well in an emerging America, a nation becoming more diverse by the day."
King said he was awaiting a response from Lange to the letter, which was dated today (March 19) and included something of a warning: "Bounce has worked diligently to identify and grow best practices for widening the pipeline for underrepresented groups. We remain committed to do so, and are prepared to take further action if necessary, but we are hopeful that you will return Bounce TV to Time Warner Cable in Manhattan as well as add the network in Los Angeles."
Of the New York situation, Time Warner Cable spokesperson Maureen Huff said, "We have had discussions, but have no agreement." She had no comment on the query about L.A., where TWC does not currently carry Bounce.
