Fox battling with Cablevision over Channels 5 and 9

With less than two weeks before an agreement to carry WNYW/5 and WWOR/9 ends, Cablevision and Fox remain locked in negotiations over the so-called "retransmission fees" the broadcaster wants for both stations.

The current deal ends Oct. 15, a day before baseball's National League Championship Series airs on Fox. Neither side has indicated the talks have reached an impasse, but Channel 5 has continued to air a commercial that says if an agreement isn't reached by then, "Cablevision may no longer carry Fox 5." WWOR/9 is owned by Fox. Cablevision is the parent company of Newsday.

Fox took the negotiation public on Sept. 19 with the ad campaign, along with the launch of a website and with Facebook and Twitter accounts. Cablevision hasn't commented, while Fox said in a statement Monday that it was "hopeful both sides can come to an agreement soon," adding that its offer was "reasonable and in line with the value Cablevision derives from reselling our services to subscribers."

In prior agreements with cable operators, most broadcasters like Fox allowed cable systems to carry their broadcast stations for free. In turn, when the broadcasters launched new cable networks, the cable operators would make room for them on their systems.

But with a prolonged slump in advertising and a need to prove to Wall Street that the 70-year-old broadcasting model remains viable, those companies now want cash for their TV signals.

Cablevision's dispute with Disney on this issue led to a blackout of the opening moments of the Oscars last March before they reached a deal. And in 2009, Fox and Time Warner had a standoff over transmission fees that were resolved New Year's Day this year, hours before Fox aired the Sugar Bowl.

The Federal Communications Commission began exploring how to mediate such disputes after the Disney / Cablevision case. Major broadcasters say the FCC has no jurisdiction in this area, while cable operators say it does.