Time Warner Cable iPad app drops channels under programmer pressure

Time Warner's TWCable TV app has been forced to drop several channels after some programmers demanded it do so. The app allows Time Warner subscribers to watch TV shows on their iPads without paying any additional fees, and that "no additional fees" part is apparently what some programmers weren't okay with.

Time Warner's email to customers detailing the change is full of some great zingers against the programmers who forced this change upon it, and we've reprinted some of them on the next page. Meanwhile, the following channels have been removed from Time Warner's app:

• Discovery channels: Animal Planet, Discovery, TLC
• Fox channels: FX, National Geographic
• Viacom channels: BET, CMT, Comedy, MTV, Nickelodeon, Spike, VH1

Time Warner assures its customers that no other channels are expected to be dropped, and it's working to add channels to replace those it's been forced to remove.

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Excerpts from Time Warner's email to its customers are reprinted below.

While most TV network owners agree with us that this is a great convenience for our customers and their viewers, a few networks disagree. As a result, for the time being, we have decided to focus our iPad efforts on other enlightened programmers who understand the benefit and importance of allowing our subscribers -- and their viewers -- to watch their programming on any screen in their homes.

We will pursue all of our legal rights against the programmers who don't share our vision. Your enthusiasm, and the enthusiasm of the programming partners who have embraced the App -- rather than those who are solely focused on finding additional ways to reach into wallets of their own viewers -- has convinced us more than ever that we are on the right path. We will continue to fight to ensure that you have access to the content you pay for, no matter which screen in your home you choose to view it on.

Why are these channels going away from the TWCable TV App for iPad?
Unfortunately, the owners of those channels don't yet share our vision for making it easy for consumers to view the content they've already paid for on different screens within the home. We would rather use our technical resources to distribute the channels of programmers who agree that their content should be seen on any screen inside your home, while we pursue legal solutions that would let us continue deploying this Application.

Why didn't Time Warner Cable anticipate this before launching the iPad App?
We firmly believe that this App is no different than delivering our signals to another TV in the home, and are surprised and disappointed that some TV networks see it differently.