Now three weeks into the block-out of Journal Broadcast Group stations on Time Warner Cable, both sides have been active in lobbing shots at each other in the past 24 hours.
Late on Wednesday, Journal sent a letter to the Wisconsin Department of Justice seeking action against Time Warner to assist customers seeking credit for not getting WTMJ-TV Ch. 4 in Milwaukee and WGBA-TV Ch. 26 and WACY-TV CH. 32 in Green Bay.
You can read about the letter and Time Warner’s response here.
Early this morning, Time Warner Cable filled the channel slots on the guide with GSN, the Game Show Network, and is offering customers a free preview of Starz Kids & Family.
"Time Warner Cable regularly makes changes to our channel lineup, but because of the continuing Journal Broadcasting dispute, we want to be sure consumers are aware of GSN’s new position on our channel lineup," said Jack Herbert, regional VP of operations for Time Warner Cable in the Midwest.
Starz Kids & Family in Milwaukee is on channels 994 and 999, and channels 10, 13 and 994 in Green Bay.
"We thank our customers for their patience and support as we continue to negotiate on their behalf for a reasonable agreement with Journal Broadcasting," Herbert said. "We hope that customers enjoy Starz Kids & Family on their channel lineup, as we work to end Journal’s prolonged broadcaster blackout."
Upon follow through on the channel switch, Steve Wexler, vice president of the Journal Broadcast Group, played on the games being played with his reaction.
"Time Warner Cable's decision to put the Game Show Network on our cable channels is an ironic choice, considering the games Time Warner seems to be playing on their customers," he said.
"In an apparent response to a class-action lawsuit that would require them to credit consumers for lost programming, Time Warner instead scrambled to fill the slot with a network they already offer instead of giving customers the credit they deserve.
"However, while customers are being played by Time Warner's stunts, the real games – Green Bay Packers preseason and Sunday Night Football games, as well as the 2014 Winter Olympics – are the games they are jeopardizing.
"The only game we are interested in playing is, ‘Let's Make A Deal.’"
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