News Corp. Ads on TV Fees Target Time Warner Cable
News Corp. (NWS) is preparing to launch a marketing blitz Friday aimed at Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC), according to people familiar with the matter, escalating a fight between the two companies over television programming fees.
Time Warner Cable’s contract to carry News Corp.’s Fox network, as well as cable channels including FX, expires at the end of the month. Contract talks have hinged on a relatively new issue in the media business: cash fees for the rights to carry broadcast TV.
News Corp. has been a prominent advocate of cash fees for its Fox network, while Time Warner Cable has said media companies are making unfairly high price demands that will lead to higher cable bills for consumers.
News Corp. also owns The Wall Street Journal.