WASHINGTON, March 21 (UPI) -- Verizon filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission to be able to carry Rainbow Media's sports programs on its television network.
The telecommunications giant said that Rainbow, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cablevision Systems, has refused for more than a year to negotiate a carriage agreement for Fox Sports Network in the northeast region, which it controls.
"We are troubled by Cablevision/Rainbow's anti-competitive behavior and refusal to negotiate carriage agreements for their sports programming," Terry Denson, Verizon vice president of FiOS TV content strategy & acquisition, said in a news release. "Cablevision's consistent refusal to negotiate carriage terms clearly is an attempt to block competition and preserve its market position, and the 1992 Cable Act specifically prohibits this type of refusal to deal," he added.
