COX, ALLBRITTON SETTLE

Cox Communications and Allbritton Communications kissed and made up last week after Cox agreed to carry Allbritton's ABC affiliate signal and local-news channel NewsChannel 8 on its Fairfax, Va., system. The two companies squabbled last month after the current retransmission deal with Allbritton expired. The latest retrans deal will expire in ten years. Details of the new contract were undisclosed.

INSIGHT BATTLES KENTUCKY TAX

Insight Communications is fighting a Kentucky tax, saying it is no longer a monopoly and that it's unfair that the direct broadcast satellite companies it competes with don't have to pay the tax. The company filed suit last week to have the intangible property tax on cable operators abolished. The tax is levied on public service companies, including utilities and railroads. It raised about $6.6 million for Kentucky in 1999 and $14.1 million for local tax districts.

NEW MSO CEOs TO SPEAK

The Western Show will be smaller and more technocentric this year than in years past, but some of the industry's newest MSO CEOs will be featured speakers during the convention. Freshly minted Charter Communications' CEO Carl Vogel and AT&T Broadband CEO William Schleyer will join Time Warner Cable's Glenn Britt and Mediacom chairman Rocco Commisso on the opening panel session Nov. 28.

TIME WARNER'S RHINO CHANNEL

Time Warner Cable's Cincinnati division chose LiveWave Inc., which develops live broadcast video systems for television and broadband applications, to provide the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens with an interactive camera system that will be used to show off the zoo's rare black rhino baby. The rhino was born last month, but has not been on public display until now. Time Warner Cable is featuring the baby live on its broadband Road Runner Online Service.

Back to this issue