NBC will announce today that it has reached agreement
with "every major cable television operator -- except
Philadelphia-based Comcast -- for distribution of Olympic
Games coverage on its two cable outlets, MSNBC and CNBC,"
according to Bob Ford of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. NBC
Cable President David Zaslav will confirm that "recently
completed deals are now in place" with Cablevision, Cable
One, Time Warner, Adelphia, AT&T, Mediacom, Cox and "a
number of smaller cable operations." The network had "hoped
to time the announcement for the completion of all
negotiations, but the impasse with Comcast appears likely to
last at least a little longer." NBC is "requiring" cable
operators to pay a per-subscriber surcharge for the
programming and "demanding other contractual concessions as
well" in a deal that extends through the 2008 Games. NBC
Sports VP/Communications Kevin Sullivan: "We're in final
negotiations with Comcast and we hope to have a deal done
next week." Comcast is the nation's third-largest cable
operator, with nearly 8 million HHs nationwide (PHILADELPHIA
INQUIRER, 8/25). Comcast spokesperson Jenni Moyer said that
her company "remains optimistic" a deal with NBC can be
reached. Moyer: "We are still in talks with NBC and we
believe we will come to an agreement." But in NJ, Matthew
Futterman notes that Comcast "has refused to cave in during
previous conflicts over cable sports" (STAR-LEDGER, 8/25).
