Time Warner Cable offers antenna to customers who want CBS
The company offers customers affected by the CBS blackout a free over-the-air antenna that can be picked up from its retail locations or a $20 credit that can be used to purchase antennae at Best Buy.
Time Warner Cable is trying to find a way around the CBS blackout.
The company on Friday announced that affected Time Warner Cable customers in Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere can walk into one of its retail locations in those areas and pick up a free over-the-air antenna. With that tuner in hand, customers will be able to access the blacked-out CBS broadcast stations.
CBS, the parent company of CNET, and Time Warner Cable have been in a bitter battle over broadcast rights. The companies have so far not come to an agreement, leading to a blackout of CBS programming in select markets. Given Time Warner Cable's free over-the-air antenna offer, it appears the companies aren't any closer to coming to an agreement.
The over-the-air antenna will allow customers in certain areas to access CBS programming from their televisions. In order to do so, however, they'll need a television that comes with a digital tuner, or a converter box that allows for access to over-the-air programming. Local major networks, like CBS, broadcast their programming over the air, allowing for tuners to pick up those streams without requiring a cable or satellite subscription.
According to Time Warner Cable, it has just a limited quantity of antennae available. To fulfill demand for antennae, Time Warner Cable is also offering affected customers in the aforementioned cities a $20 credit towards the purchase of over-the-air antennae. That credit is only available at Best Buy.