Bright House vs Fox:

Bright House networks and Fox News Corporation continue to negotiate with just a half hour until the midnight deadline.

Fox is threatening to remove 11 channels if Bright House does not agree to their request for increased fees. If an agreement is not reached, Fox says they will pull 11 channels from the Bright House Networks lineup including WTVT Fox 13, which is showing the Sugar Bowl.

Earlier today the chairman of the FCC urged Fox News Corp. not to pull its programming from Bright House Networks. Julius Genachowski issued a statement saying, "I have urged Fox and Time Warner Cable to agree to a temporary extension of carriage if they do not come to terms on a new carriage agreement today, in order to prevent disruption to their viewers." He went on to say, "Companies shouldn't force cable-watching football fans to scramble for other means of TV delivery on New Year's weekend."

Thursday afternoon, an Orange County judge denied a requested injunction that would have prevented Fox from pulling the Sugar Bowl game from Bright House cable.

The Fox network will be allowed to deny Bright House Networks customers the chance to see the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl if an agreement between the two companies is not reached soon.
Orlando lawyer John Morgan sought the injunction on behalf of two University of Florida fans.


Morgan said Fox is using the Sugar Bowl - which features the Gators - as a bargaining tool to negotiate with Bright House Networks as well as Time Warner Cable. In court, he said many fans would be forced to leave their homes in order to see the game.

"You are going to read the next day that there's going to be more accidents, more deaths and more maiming, more paralysis that would have happened but for this. So when Fox gets their money, God bless them."

After the judge ruled against the injunction, Thomas Moore, one of the fans, who brought the lawsuit expressed his frustration.

He said, "I'm leaving here very disappointed for all Gators fans. I say, 'Go Gators,' and we tried our best for you all."

Meanwhile, negotiations between Fox and Bright House continue.

The Associated Press reports that Fox rejected an offer to send the dispute to arbitration. And the AP reported that Fox officials won't address an offer from Bright House to carry its signal while the negotiations continue.