Some people in the Charlotte, N.C., area got quite a surprise Thursday when CBS disappeared from their channel lineups just before the day’s NCAA Tournament games tipped off.
Raycom Media, which owns Charlotte’s CBS affiliate WBTV, is embroiled in a contract dispute with AT&T over how much the cable provider will pay to carry its stations in 23 cities, the Charlotte Observer reported Thursday. Until it’s settled, AT&T U-verse cable customers won’t be able to watch CBS on their TVs.
Luckily for North Carolinians, the state’s three schools in the tournament aren’t playing on CBS in the first round. UNC-Wilmington exited early in a 76-71 loss to Virginia on Thursday, while No. 1 seed UNC and No. 2 Duke play Friday on TNT and TBS, respectively.
Disputes such as these usually are resolved in a few days’ time, so Charlotte residents might not have to wait too long to get the full slate of NCAA games back, either.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
