Cox Communications avoided a protracted retransmission consent fight with broadcaster LIN TV Wednesday, reaching an agreement in principle for stations in five markets hours before they were set to go dark.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cox's retransmission consent agreement with LIN stations in Providence, R.I.; Norfolk, Va.; Mobile, Ala.; New Haven, Conn.; and Springfield, Mass., were set to expire at midnight on March 31. The stations are affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW and MyNetworkTV.
In a joint statement, Cox and LIN TV confirmed that a deal had been reached in principle, but declined further comment.
"Cox Communications and LIN Media announce today that the companies have reached an agreement in principle, subject to execution of a definitive contract, for continued carriage of WPRI-TV and WNAC-TV (Providence, RI); WAVY-TV and WVBT-TV (Norfolk, VA); WTNH-TV and WCTX-TV (Hartford-New Haven, CT); WALA-TV and WFNA-TV (Mobile, AL); and WWLP-TV (Springfield, MA) on Cox's video channel lineup," the two companies said in the statement. "The agreement contemplates that customers will continue to have access to the stations without disruption. Terms of the agreement are confidential."
