Even after bending over backwards
to support israel in its coverage, CNN may still get dumped!
Israeli
Cable companies get authorization to remove CNN from their
programming
By Anat Balint,
Ha'aretz
August 01, 2002
The Satellite and Cable Commission decided Thursday to allow Israeli
cable companies to remove CNN from their programming. The decision
was approved by a large majority, following a stormy discussion
on the issue.
The central argument for the deciison was the availability of three
foreign news networks other than CNN: BBC, Fox News and Sky News.
About a week ago, three cable companies filed separate requests
to the Commission to end the CNN broadcasts. The cable companies
wrote that they were unable to reach an agreement with CNN on payment
rates for the news broadcasts.
The current contract btween CNN and the cable companies will end
in November, but for the last eight months the two sides were unable
to reach an agreement on a new contract.
CNN: Cable companies exploiting political situation A senior CNN
official harshly criticized the cable companies' tactics in the
negotiations, which he said included attacks on the network's coverage
of Israel and the conflict with the Palestinians, while taking advantage
of the sensitive political situation.
Prior to the Commission's decision, the official said that the
cable companies were given "a very fair offer at a rate we
didn't make available anywhere else in the world."
CNN is currently a part of the cable companies' basic programming
package which every subscriber receives without paying extra fees.
A few weeks ago, some cable companies began broadcasting Fox News,
a competitor of CNN.
See related story: http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-news-0161.html
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