UI president’s plea for Mediacom-Sinclair help rebuffed

The operator of KGAN-CBS 2 and KFXA-Fox 28 has rejected a three-month extension of the retransmission agreements between the stations and Mediacom, leaving the threat that Mediacom customers may lose access to the Orange Bowl intact.

Mediacom proposed the three-month extension Friday to Sinclair Broadcast Group in response to a letter from University of Iowa President Sally Mason urging the two sides to work out their differences so that Iowans do not miss the Jan. 5 Orange Bowl matchup between the University of Iowa and Georgia Tech on Fox.

“The appearance of the Hawkeye football team in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 5 is clearly an event of significant public importance within Iowa,” Mediacom Chairman Rocco Commisso wrote to Sinclair. He noted that nearly 1 million Mediacom viewers in Iowa could also miss the BCS Championship on CBS, the NFL playoffs on CBS and Fox and the Super Bowl on CBS.

The retransmission agreements between Mediacom and Sinclair expire at the end of the month. Mediacom offered to pay Sinclair a higher rate for retransmission that it requested in October, but its payments beyond that would depend on the terms of any deal subsequently reached.

Sinclair CEO David D. Smith wrote back that Mediacom tried to extend the contract until March 31, 2010 when it was last renegotiated because it would come at a time when less popular programming was upcoming. He said Mediacom just wants the contract to expire at a time when the programming affected is less popular.

Mediacom and Sinclair are discussing possible mediation of their dispute, Smith wrote, adding that Sinclair is willing to work right up until midnight on Dec. 31.

“Your proposal to add additional time after that is nothing other than an attempt to increase Mediacom's leverage,” Smith wrote, adding “Best wishes for a happy holiday season.”