Viewers of two Iowa television stations who watch those stations on Mediacom cable won’t have to get an antenna just yet. Sinclair Broadcasting had threatened to pull the signals of its television stations from Mediacom cable systems on December 1st because of a contract dispute.
Sinclair wants Mediacom to pay more for the rights to carry the signals for 22 stations including two in Iowa: K-G-A-N, which is channel 2 in the Cedar Rapids market and K-D-S-M FOX-17 in the Des Moines market. The deadline for the negotiations has been extended to January 5th. Mediacom lawyers charge Sinclair is violating anti-trust laws by the way it has linked all its stations in the negotiations.
Mediacom has also filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over the on-going contract dispute. Sinclair lawyers argue Mediacom has been unwilling to pay what the stations are worth to the line-up of channels on Mediacom cable systems.