Time Warner Cable removed access to 17 live cable network streams from its
iPad app Tuesday evening claiming overwhelming demand forced it to temporarily
scale back the service -- leaving 15 in place -- while it also appears several
programmers demanded the MSO remove their channels from the app.
According to the No. 2 cable operator, the TWCable TV app for the iPad is available only in a subscriber's home over Wi-Fi and
therefore is covered under existing carriage agreements, because the iPad is
simply another outlet in the home.
But an executive with a large cable programming group asserted that the
MSO's move is out of bounds.
"I imagine TWC has gotten cease-and-desist orders from just about
everybody, because most programmer agreements don't cover this kind of
usage," the source said. "It has to be negotiated separately, and any
agreement with regard to portability has to complement our existing mobile
revenue streams."
