Cablevision offers to meet Fox at FCC to end dispute

CALL FOR MEETING. Cablevision president and chief executive James Dolan has offered to meet with Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski this morning in Washington.

In a letter sent to Genachowski Tuesday, Dolan said he "will come ready with new, constructive offers" and is prepared to reach agreement Wednesday.

A Fox spokesman called the proposed meeting "a stunt" and would neither confirm nor deny that News Corp. would attend.

FCC spokeswoman Janice Wise said last night, "We're going to continue to monitor the situation." Cablevision - which owns Newsday - has been seeking FCC intervention.

FOX'S LETTER. News Corp. yesterday accused Cablevision of allowing its customer service employees to steer subscribers to websites that may be illegally carrying Fox's copyrighted shows.

In a "cease and desist" letter, its attorney John P. Hooper also said Cablevision employees have been "making false representations about Fox" to its customers.

Cablevision said in a statement that the letter is a distraction from Fox's own stubbornness in resolving the dispute."Fox should cease and desist its World Series blackout, put its programming back on Cablevision and agree to binding arbitration," it said.