Senator Calls For FCC To Intervene In CBS, TWC Dispute

Customers have been calling on Time Warner Cable and CBS Corp. to resolve their ongoing carriage dispute that has resulted in channels going dark in several markets including Los Angeles and New York.

Now politicians are demanding an end to the blackout.

According to the LA Times, Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) on Tuesday asked the Federal Communications Commission to step in and restart negotiations.

"I believe the public interest would be best served if carriage is restored by the parties at the earliest possible time so that consumers are not long caught in the middle," Markey said in a letter to the commission.

The fight between the two companies last week resulted in a blackout of CBS-owned media outlets for Time Warner Cable customers in several markets. The pay cable channel Showtime is also dark on Time Warner Cable.

At issue are fees that CBS wants to charge Time Warner Cable to carry its local television stations. CBS is seeking a hefty increase in so-called retransmission consent fees, which Time Warner Cable is resisting.

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