When Fox Networks played retransmission hardball with its network affiliate in Evansville, Ind., it did more than portend future retrans wars with the local cable operator, Insight Communications. The broadcaster also set up a confusing cable TV lineup sheet.
Starting July 1, Channel 7 loses its right to carry Fox programming, which will be transferred to the local CBS affiliate, channel 44. To make things more unsettled, that affiliate won't drop CBS and will continue to show it on Insight channel 10. The Fox programming will go on its secondary digital channel which means Insight digital subscribers will see Fox move from channel 8 to 119 and non-digital customers will get it on channel 20.9. Fox will show up on channel 44.2 for over-the-air viewers.
"It's going to be a little confusing in TV in this market in the next few weeks," Insight CEO Michael Wilner understated. "It's obviously going to cause some confusion in the market. We will get lots of calls to our call center."
He expects viewers to ask "Why did the cable company do that?" and the answer to be, "We didn't do it."
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