Food Network and HGTV Viewers Respond; Demand That Cablevision Put Popular Lifestyle Networks Back On the Air

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 1 -- HGTV and Food Network have built a passionate following over the last 16 years, and now those home and food enthusiasts are rallying around their favorite networks after seeing them dropped from Cablevision's television lineup.

With the distribution contracts expiring on New Year's Eve, the two popular Scripps Networks Interactive channels appealed to fans to make their voices heard and help convince Cablevision to put HGTV and Food Network back on the air. In less than 24 hours, more than 120,000 viewer calls poured into the call center and 35,000 e-cards have been sent to Cablevision from viewers logging on to ilovefoodnetwork.com or ilovehgtv.com to express their outrage and disappointment.

Cablevision services 3 million subscribers in the New York, Long Island and Tri-State region.

And while Scripps Networks Interactive, the parent company for Food Network and HGTV, remains open to discussions, Cablevision has yet to engage in good faith negotiations for their subscribers. Food Network and HGTV are among the most popular networks on TV, yet Cablevision pays them a combined rate of less than 25 cents per subscriber - among the lowest rates in the industry. Scripps executives say the distribution fees they receive from cable and satellite companies are how they fund the family friendly, quality programming that their viewers have come to expect.

"The rates we are seeking represent a very modest increase when you consider that Food Network and HGTV are among the top networks in all of cable," said John Lansing, executive vice president of Scripps Networks Interactive and president of the company's Scripps Networks operating division. "Scripps Networks Interactive is among the fastest growing and most financially sound media companies in all of cable television. We regret that Cablevision has not recognized the market value of our networks or the value of these services to its subscribers."

Food Network and HGTV are appealing to consumers to continue to keep the pressure on Cablevision and demand that Food Network and HGTV go back on the air. They can visit iloveFOODNETWORK.com and iloveHGTV.com or call 866.695.BEST to make their voices heard.