No, this is not kitchen stadium but two sides are batteling it out for viewers hearts and minds, if not stomach's. All information avaiable to the public comes from either side Cablevision side;

"We are sorry that Scripps current financial difficulties are making it impossible for them to continue our relationship under terms that are fair to everyone. However, it is clear that they have dramatically changed their approach to working with distributors who carry these channels."

or from Scripps which has launched two consumer sites: ilovefoodnetwork.com and ilovehgtv.com to get viewers to pressure the MSO to negotiate more favorable terms.

While Ad income has been slashed, by 2008 cable-only producers took in about 39 percent of TV ad revenue, which broadcasters used to keep. The networks are very dependent on license fees since the 1994 law governing fees went into effect.

As for the law itself, there is an interesting passage in the 1994 network rules which states;

"Provided further that the subscriber shall not be forced to buy more than the channel(s), of his choice through the mechanism of discounted pricing and by grouping of channels in such a way as to render the choice of individual pay channels offered, an illusory one."

"Choice", "discounted pricing", these are illusory - its time for decoupling, or à la carte programming which I believe will actually benefit both producers and MSO's in the long run by allowing successful programming to rise while less sucessful programming may fall to the wayside, a more democratic process. The notion floated by cable that à la carte would lead to fewer hours of television watched is I think no longer valid with the emmergence of iTV and more specifically mobile TV which will only flurish in the coming years, if anything this represents a new revenue stream for MSO's.

As for regulation, there have been new calls for oversight however, these have been broached for years with little or no positive releif for the consumer.

"I think there needs to be some sort of government oversight over the cable industry," Mindy Spatt, spokeswoman for The Utility Reform Network, a San Francisco consumer advocacy group, said Saturday. "There's a danger for consumers that the price is just going to keep rising with no end in sight."

Aside from the posturing with ads and websites, the consumer is once again the casualty, guys remember the consumer? Perhaps there is a role for government to take a fresh look at à la carte programming or at least to hold hearings which may get both sides back to the kitchen table...