ABC affiliate pulls service even as Time Warner and Disney negotiate

ABC's Lincoln, Neb. affiliate KLKN-TV apparently didn't get the memo--or more likely don't care--that ABC programming is supposed to remain available as Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC-WI) and ABC's parent Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) hammer out the final details of a new retransmission agreement. Of course, KLKN is an ABC affiliate without a Disney affiliation, which makes its participation in the national plan problematic.

Owned by Citadel Communications, KLKN shut off its signal after particularly rancorous retransmission negotiations with TWC expired. "What we've asked for is the going market rate for a broadcasting affiliate, especially one that produces local news programming," said Ray Cole, Citadel's president-COO. Baloney--or some such expletive--was TWC's position. "KLKN's demands are completely unreasonable," replied TWC local spokeswoman Ann Shrewsbury.

Meanwhile, on the national scene, the aforementioned TWC and Disney continued their negotiations and programming stayed on--at least in systems where Disney owns and operates the ABC affiliates--despite a passed deadline.

For more:
- see this story
- and this blog post

Related articles:
Time Warner-Disney dispute at truce level, but not settled
AT&T pulls plug on Hallmark channels for U-verse subscribers
FCC, investors keeping an eye on Disney-Time Warner Cable conflict
Oh Canada! Retransmission impasse dooms lobby group