As of this post, ABC is dark for 3.1 million Cablevision subscribers. Well, not exactly dark. Cablevision is running a video trashing the network for “pull[ing] the channel off Cablevision and hold[ing] its own viewers hostage in pursuit of million.†Disney, ABC’s parent company, pulled programming from the channel at midnight last night during a re-run of Lost. Not cool! The decision comes after two years of negotiating and a week of public trash-talking failed to produce an agreement. Cablevision says Disney want’s a $40 million-a-year raise, on top of the $200 million it already receives for its programming. Disney disputes this, but won’t say how much it actually wants. But the viewers, as always, are the losers. They’re all going to miss the Lakers-Magic game this afternoon! Oh, and the Oscars too.
Channel 7 ABC flashes angry message, then goes black for Cablevision customers at midnight [NYDN]